49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Quarterback Nick Mullens
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players looks at third-string quarterback Nick Mullens and his unheralded role for the 2018 season.
Oh, the life of a third-string quarterback. Especially on the San Francisco 49ers behind a competent backup, C.J. Beathard, and the greatest signal-caller of all time, Jimmy Garoppolo.
Yet such is the life for second-year pro Nick Mullens who, after going undrafted in 2017, signed on with the Niners to compete for a depth spot on the team’s roster. Mullens spent his entire year on the practice squad and, at best, is projected to do much of the same this season.
Mullens’ college years at Southern Mississippi were notable, though. He set numerous school records, including an impressive 4,476-yard campaign back in 2015:
| 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 6/19/2018.
Despite the lofty numbers, there were concerns about his small 6-foot-1, 187-pound stature heading towards the 2017 NFL Draft. That, and relatively poor arm strength and technique, meant he was a developmental project at best.
So what should fans expect out of Mullens heading into his second year at the pro level?
Why Nick Mullens Might Improve in 2018
Mullens’ game tape shows some likable attributes for pro-style quarterbacks. He flashed some solid touch with a lot of his passes, and there’s relatively little concern for short- and intermediate-range accuracy.
He also moves well within the pocket, eluding pass-rushers and extending plays.
These traits are likely what drew the 49ers to taking him following last year’s draft. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s propensity to use bootlegs and misdirections play into Mullens’ strengths. And if the second-year quarterback is able to hone his mechanics a bit, there’s possibly a spot for him on a 53-man roster.
Somewhere, at least.
Why He Regresses
Arm strength has never been one of Mullens’ better attributes. This led to Mullens being mostly ineffective at downfield passes, relying more on short- and mid-range attempts.
Shanahan’s offense is good enough to get receivers open in this area. But the timing also needs to be there.
This is an area — also shown in the tape above — where Mullens can struggle. He doesn’t necessarily lock onto his targets. But he needs to be sure his receiver is going to be open before committing the throw. As such, his windup can be relatively long, which will ultimately lead to problems against NFL-level defenses.
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Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2018
Mullens isn’t going to beat out Beathard, and we’d all be laughing if someone suggested there’s a position battle with Garoppolo.
In all reality, Mullens’ lone competition is with 2018 rookie QB Jack Heneghan out of Dartmouth.
These two are essentially competing for the third-string quarterback job this season. Meanwhile, the Niners likely wind up carrying just two signal-callers on their 53-man roster in 2018, meaning the winner of this camp battle winds up with the lofty accolade of being named to the practice squad.
We’ll get a better idea of this all-not-important competition in the preseason, notably in Week 4, where Mullens likely starts and gives way to Heneghan at halftime.
Next: 5 most important 49ers players for a 2018 playoff run
This will hopefully be the lone time 49ers fans see either Mullens or Heneghan suited up in uniform, barring injury to Beathard or Garoppolo, in 2018.