San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is a first-round pick! Well, he is in ESPN's recent fantasy-football style draft with a twist. The sports conglomerate this week tasked its team of NFL writers to conduct a fictional four-round draft, with each reporter making the selections for the team in which they cover.
Who are the draft prospects? Every NFL player.
Each team owned four selections, with one in each round. Each was required to select a quarterback with one of those selections. Two of the other picks were reserved for a different position on offense and then a defensive player. The fourth could be anyone the writer desired.
ESPN used the initial (before trades) 2020 NFL Draft order as a template.
Click here to find out who the 49ers selected in the exercise.
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So, where did Garoppolo end up going? The 49ers quarterback was mocked to his hometown Chicago Bears with the No. 19 overall pick. He was the 15th quarterback selected.
The following 14 quarterbacks were picked ahead of him.
- Round 1 (1): Patrick Mahomes
- Round 1 (2): Russell Wilson
- Round 1 (3): Lamar Jackson
- Round 1 (4): Deshaun Watson
- Round 1 (8): Drew Brees
- Round 1 (9): Dak Prescott
- Round 1 (11): Carson Wentz
- Round 1 (12): Aaron Rodgers
- Round 1 (13): Joe Burrow
- Round 1 (14): Tom Brady
- Round 1 (15): Drew Lock
- Round 1 (16): Matt Ryan
- Round 1 (17): Kyler Murray
- Round 1 (18): Teddy Bridgewater
Garoppolo is preparing to enter his seventh NFL season. 2019 represented his first full season as an NFL starter, and the quarterback completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,978 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while leading the 49ers to an NFC-best 13-3 record, the division crown, and a trip to the Super Bowl.
What about other members of the real San Francisco roster?
Defensive end Nick Bosa was the first 49ers player selected. He went to the Cleveland Browns at No. 10 overall. All-Pro tight end George Kittle actually ended up with San Francisco after being selected No. 31 overall by ESPN's 49ers writer, Nick Wagoner.
Former Washington offensive tackle Trent Williams, who was traded to the 49ers in April, was acquired by his former team in the third round with the No. 66 overall pick. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead went to the Minnesota Vikings 23 selections later.
Click here to peruse through the entire exercise over at ESPN.