The 49ers Will Still Be in the Quarterback Market in Upcoming NFL Draft
By Robert Smith
Nathan Peterman, Pittsburgh
There is a link between the last slide and this one.
Both Joshua Dobbs and Nathan Peterman were quarterbacks for the University of Tennessee. Peterman was the starter, but after a broken hand sidelined him in 2013, he was given a short leash the next season and was promptly replaced after struggling in his first start in 2014.
His replacement? Josh Dobbs, who never relinquished control after that.
San Francisco 49ers
Peterman then transferred to Pitt, and the rest is history. Peterman finished 2016 with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions and a completion percentage of 60.5.
Now, he and Dobbs are battling once again to see who can be drafted higher. And while neither are threatening to break the presumptive top-three rated quarterbacks in this draft, Peterman has some scouts intrigued by his accuracy and ability to operate a pro-style offense.
In fact, one scout compared him to none other than Kyle Shanahan favorite, Kirk Cousins. And while that may be fairly premature, Peterman has shown some intriguing characteristics that may play well on Sundays.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller even compared him to Dak Prescott, saying, roughly, Peterman had poise, accuracy, and the ability to make all the throws asked of him.
The major knock on him has been his arm strength, but the combine showcased a QB that can hold his own with this year’s top college signal-callers. He was thought to be a later-round pick. But after a solid showing in Indy, he may see his name come off the board anywhere between Rounds 2 and 4.
He may be a tad rough, but his attributes and instincts make him a distinct possibility for Shanahan and company to pluck in the middle rounds come April.
Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
The hothead. The wild card. The polarizing figure.
The spoiled nephew of former Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly has some baggage.
Between getting into a few fights at a bar and his younger brother’s high school game, to tweeting porn stars and talking junk on social media, Chad Kelly got himself uninvited to the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine in Indy last month.
With his ACL injury from last season to compound the problem, teams have mostly shied away from the former Ole’ Miss QB with a surefire NFL skill set.
In fact, Mike Mayock of NFL.com (h/t Inside the Bills) sees second-round potential in Kelly:
"I’ve said several times that if he didn’t have medical (two ACL surgeries) and if he didn’t have off-the-field character concerns he’d be in the conversation with the top-five quarterbacks. I think worst case talent-wise he’s a second-round guy. He might even sneak into the first round in some drafts, if we didn’t factor in the medical or the off the field concerns."
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The off-field issues may very well scare off the Niners. But if they are looking at a value pick in the late rounds of the draft, Kelly could be an option.
Kelly had some great numbers at Ole Miss until an ACL injury ended his season. And with the Niners holding 10 picks, taking a flyer on him would not leave the team short on selections.
And if it weren’t to work out, it would be a low-risk investment with a 2018 draft that looks to have a plethora of QBs to choose from.
Next: 49ers Prospect Watch:Running Back Kareem Hunt
Whatever direction general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan choose to go in selecting a QB in this draft, the excitement of Shanahan getting his hands on a young, talented QB is sky high.