Adam Schefter joined ESPN radio on Tuesday morning and voiced his opinion on who the San Francisco 49ers will select with the No. 3 overall pick on April 29. Much of the media predicts that player to be former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, and Schefter sees that as the most likely outcome, too.
"Oh, it'll be Mac Jones," Schefter responded when asked for his prediction.
What does that mean for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have stated remains in the team's plans for 2021? The 49ers view themselves as contenders and don't want to throw in a rookie to lead the offense. Garoppolo is familiar with the playbook, and his teammates trust him.
With next year's rookie quarterback class not expected to be as talented as this year's, San Francisco traded up to acquire its quarterback of the future.
"Again, if the draft were held today, they've got to go through the process, and they've got to assess all the quarterbacks," Schefter continued. "I believe that in the end, they will pick Mac Jones at three. That will be the pick, and they will keep Jimmy Garoppolo this year."
Things could change if an offer wowed the 49ers. There have been multiple reports that it would take a first-round pick for Lynch and Shanahan to deviate from their current plan and part with Garoppolo. While that may seem like an overvaluation to many, it is more an indication that they intend to keep Garoppolo, allowing the rookie a season to sit and learn.
Snippet of audio from the DiPietro, Canty & Rothenberg show this morning
Adam confidently proclaims Mac will be the pick, then details the 49ers plans pic.twitter.com/zRNUaCLak4
— Anthony Amico (@amicsta) April 6, 2021
"Now, look, could New England decide we're going to give you this and this on draft day or draft weekend, and the Niners make a decision to trade him? Yeah," Schefter added. "That could be. But I can just tell you that their plan was, they believe they've got a Super Bowl-caliber roster, a playoff-caliber roster, and that they want to draft a quarterback and have that guy sit on the bench, learn, get acclimated, even though some people say Mac Jones is ready to play right away.
"And then, after the season, you move on from Jimmy. But a couple of things. Number one, the roster is ready to win now, and they think a veteran is more capable of taking the team further right now. And number two, Jimmy Garoppolo has missed most of two of the past three seasons with injuries. ... There are no assurances that he's even going to remain healthy. And so, if he's not healthy, then you have the quarterback you drafted at No. 3, who I believe, ultimately, will be Mac Jones."