49ers: Who is San Francisco quarterback Nick Mullens?

Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players in 2017 shifts focus to undrafted free-agent quarterback Nick Mullens and his prospectus this season.

That’s right, the San Francisco 49ers actually have four quarterbacks on their 90-man offseason roster.

They are, of course, Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley, C.J. Beathard and former Southern Mississippi’s Nick Mullens.

Mullens, signed by San Francisco as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft, will have a long way to go to secure a spot on the Niners roster this season. Basically an impossibility, which makes him a plausible candidate for the practice squad his rookie year.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Mullens saw significant time over four collegiate years, completing 60 percent of his passes and posting a near 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio:

Nick Mullens Passing Table
		Passing
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	AY/A	TD	Int	Rate
2013	Southern Mississippi	CUSA	FR	QB	9	136	276	49.3	1776	6.4	5.1	13	14	108.7
2014	Southern Mississippi	CUSA	SO	QB	10	218	365	59.7	2470	6.8	6.3	12	9	122.5
*2015	Southern Mississippi	CUSA	JR	QB	14	331	521	63.5	4476	8.6	9.0	38	12	155.2
2016	Southern Mississippi	CUSA	SR	QB	11	243	384	63.3	3272	8.5	8.5	24	11	149.8
Career	Southern Mississippi					928	1546	60.0	11994	7.8	7.5	87	46	137.8

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/19/2017.

Right now, the Niners are likely looking at Mullens as little more than a developmental piece. Beathard, taken in Round 3 of the draft, certainly holds more of the attention.

But can Mullens make enough of a case for himself to warrant long-term consideration?

Let’s take a look at what he might bring to the table between now and the regular season.

San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

Why He’ll Improve

Despite running a spread offense at Southern Mississippi, Mullens has shown enough talent to warrant consideration for pro-style attacks.

Here’s what Pro Football Focus‘ scouting report had to say about him:

Smooth, efficient release. Natural passer.
Consistently throws on balance and shows proper footwork for the given route combination.
Good accuracy to each level of the field but excels in quick game and intermediate routes in the middle of the field.
Anticipates throws in zone windows very well.
Good overall feel for the passing game and the type of throw needed. Shows great touch.

He’s also played through injury, which is never a bad thing to consider at the NFL level. Quarterback toughness is a quick way to earn the respect of teammates.

Good timing and accuracy, as listed above, are other traits necessary in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system. Well, they’re important for any offensive scheme. But the complex nature of Shanahan’s offense highlights this just a bit more.

Why He’ll Regress

One of the big knocks against Mullens is his smallish frame. Sure, the height is OK. But his 187-pound weight likely won’t be able to withstand the rigors of the NFL level. While smaller quarterbacks, like Drew Brees or Russell Wilson, have shown they can manage taking hits, these are surely the exception and not the rule.

Both of those QBs also have strong arms, and Mullens does not. His PFF scouting report also suggests underthrown balls on deep passes, which can get him into trouble.

Another factor to consider goes back to the complexity of Shanahan’s offense. Mullens would be going from a relatively simple approach to one of the toughest in the NFL today.

Such a transition doesn’t bode well for Mullens’ chances to make the roster.

Which leads us to our next question.

What to Expect in 2017

Almost every UDFA selected anywhere views the practice squad as the best chance to stick around with a team beyond the preseason.

In Mullens’ situation, this would be the best-case scenario.

More from Niner Noise

San Francisco is likely to keep three QBs on its roster this season, the last of which being Beathard. He’s the developmental piece the Niners may view as a long-term option, not Mullens.

If Mullens winds up having a decent training camp and sees meaningful reps during the preseason, there’s a good chance he winds up on the practice squad.

Next: 49ers film room: Who should start at quarterback in 2017

Don’t expect anything higher than that though.

San Francisco 49ers: Who is quarterback Nick Mullens?

By Peter Panacy | Jun 19, 2017