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2016 Senior Bowl: 5 Prospects the San Francisco 49ers Should Watch

By Peter Panacy

Jan 9, 2016; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz (11) reacts after the game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the FCS Championship college football game at Toyota Stadium. North Dakota State won the championship 37-10. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz (11) reacts after the game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the FCS Championship college football game at Toyota Stadium. North Dakota State won the championship 37-10. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 10, 2015; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz (11) throws a pass during pre game warmups against the Illinois State Redbirds at Pizza Hut Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2015; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz (11) throws a pass during pre game warmups against the Illinois State Redbirds at Pizza Hut Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterback Carson Wentz, North Dakota State

6’6″, 230 pounds

North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz appears to be climbing up prospect rankings in recent weeks and is listed as the No. 3 signal-caller available in the draft, per CBS Sports.

The probable first-round target would mean the 49ers would be moving in a new direction from incumbent quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert.

At least at some point in the future.

Wentz has certainly delivered the majority of the hype in advance of the Super Bowl. And it makes sense as to why.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com spoke on Wentz’s potential:

"The buzz is building around Wentz’s potential to emerge as the draft’s top prospect at quarterback. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder displays all of the tools scouts covet in a franchise quarterback (size, athleticism, A-plus arm talent, leadership skills and winning pedigree), but the small-school standout must convince evaluators that he can step up his game against elite competition. Moreover, Wentz needs to show coaches that he can quickly learn a pro-style offense and thrive in a scheme that requires him to make full-field reads and progressions from the pocket. Although he played in a system that featured some advanced passing-game concepts, Wentz’s performance as the director of the North team’s offense this week could determine the pecking order of the quarterbacks on draft day."

And Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (h/t Joe Fann of 49ers.com) also saw how Wentz could fit into a type of scheme head coach Chip Kelly may employ.

"He has a big arm. It’s a little bit like (Oakland Raiders quarterback) Derek Carr. He moves well in the pocket. He’s a runner, and I feel like people miss that watching his tape. They ran a lot of zone-read, and he did a really good job with that. He’s got to get better at reading the field, but he definitely does it. He’s poised. And he’s really smart. Everyone raves about how football smart he is."

The one question is whether or not Wentz can accurately deliver the ball — an aspect that will ultimately determine whether or not his climb up the prospect rankings will continue and whether he’d be a good fit in Kelly’s system should the 49ers go that route.

Next: Why Laquon Treadwell Should be the 49ers No. 1 Pick in 2016 NFL Draft

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Supplementary draft information courtesy of CBS Sports.