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2016 NFL Draft: 49ers Quarterback Big Board

By Jerod Brown

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Dakota State Bisons quarterback Carson Wentz throws a pass during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Dakota State Bisons quarterback Carson Wentz throws a pass during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Carson Wentz-North Dakota State

College Statistics

Carson Wentz is one of the most polarizing prospects in the entire quarterback class. Some suggest he’ll be the first quarterback selected. Others suggest he shouldn’t be taken at all.

The opinions are, quite simply, so wide in variability that is impossible to accurately guess when Wentz will be selected or how he’ll perform once in the NFL.

As a two-year starter for the North Dakota State Bison, Wentz took over at the helm for a program that has won five straight FCS Championships. Is Wentz an excellent player? Yes. But when a program is winning that often, and winning before Wentz took a snap, it is hard not to wonder if they just happen to be developing something significantly better than any of their opponents.

Wentz’ first chance to really shine against NFL-caliber opponents came during his week at the Reeses’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Against top competition, Wentz was clearly the best quarterback on the field and he managed to impress coaches and scouts with his ability to connect to other players and become a leader in a short time.

Wentz comes with ideal NFL size at 6’5″ and 237 pounds, and he has an arm that can make any NFL throw. He is mobile and accurate enough to excel in Kelly’s system while showing impressive leadership qualities and intelligence that team’s expect from a franchise quarterback.

The primary knock against Wentz is the level of competition he has faced. Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier wrote an excellent piece examining some of the myths surrounding Wentz. Read it and decide for yourself where he ought to be drafted. As of now, he’s certainly high on the 49ers’ quarterback Big Board.

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