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ESPN insider reveals team that originally wanted Mac Jones instead of Patriots

By Rucker Haringey

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 29: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots looks to pass the ball against against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on August 29, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 29: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots looks to pass the ball against against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on August 29, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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The 49ers knew they wanted a quarterback when they moved up to the No. 3 spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, but Mac Jones may have been their original target.

The moment the 49ers made the move up to No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft it was clear that Kyle Shanahan wanted to nab his future franchise quarterback. The pick ended up being Trey Lance, but recent reports make it pretty obvious that San Francisco originally coveted Mac Jones in that spot.

Recent reports indicate that the 49ers were concerned about the Patriots’ interest in Jones when they originally made the big move up the board. That makes it clear that, at the very least, selecting Jones with the No. 3 pick was a serious consideration for the San Francisco brain trust.

It seems logical that the extended period of time between the trade and the draft itself gave Lance the opportunity to change the 49ers’ thinking. Ultimately, Shanahan elected to go with the relatively raw, big-armed quarterback from North Dakota State over the polished signal-caller from Alabama.

The irony is that San Francisco’s decision allowed New England to draft Jones with their original first-round pick at No. 15. In the end, both teams managed to get their respective guys at the quarterback position. The Patriots were not required to pay a premium to land their Week 1 starter. The 49ers gave up a ton to land a guy who won’t take the field for them in the opener.

That doesn’t mean Lance won’t turn out to be the better pick in the long haul, but it does mean that the Patriots may have gotten one over on San Francisco on Draft Day. It may ultimately take years for the Lance vs. Jones debate to ultimately be answered.

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Shanahan’s legacy in San Francisco will be indelibly tied to how Lance performs. In sharp contrast, Bill Belichick will always be more intimately tied to his former superstar quarterback, Tom Brady. The battle between Lance and Jones will still heavily influence which team experiences more success in the near future. Time will tell if the 49ers screwed themselves by changing their mind about taking Jones over Lance.