SF 49ers mock NFL Draft halfway through 2020 season
By Peter Panacy
Round 1, Pick No. 15 Overall: SF 49ers get BYU quarterback Zach Wilson
540. . Quarterback. Cougars . Zach Wilson. 15. player
Unless you’ve been hiding from the news, rumors and speculation, you’re well aware the SF 49ers could easily move on from Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason.
Hall of Famer Steve Young thought as much when Garoppolo was tabbed to injured reserve, and there’s no shortage of other suggestions Kyle Shanahan would want someone else to helm his offense in coming seasons.
Moving on from Garoppolo this offseason makes financial sense, too, as the Niners would be able to clear over $24 million in cap space against $2.8 million in dead money, making a notable restructuring at the top of the offensive depth chart highly possible.
Related Story. 5 destinations for Jimmy Garoppolo if 49ers move on. light
In this mock NFL Draft, let’s assume that’s what happens.
And with their first pick in April’s draft, San Francisco goes with arguably the best quarterbacking fit that would be available to Shanahan, BYU quarterback Zack Wilson.
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2018 | Brigham Young | Ind | FR | QB | 9 | 120 | 182 | 65.9 | 1578 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 12 | 3 | 157.2 |
| *2019 | Brigham Young | Ind | SO | QB | 9 | 199 | 319 | 62.4 | 2382 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 11 | 9 | 130.8 |
| 2020 | Brigham Young | Ind | JR | QB | 7 | 144 | 193 | 74.6 | 2152 | 11.2 | 12.7 | 19 | 2 | 198.7 |
| Career | Brigham Young | 463 | 694 | 66.7 | 6112 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 42 | 14 | 156.6 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 11/6/2020.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Wilson has all the likable traits for a high-quality starting quarterback at the NFL level.
Wilson’s arm strength might not be the best, and there are some questions about his durability within the pros. But when it comes to play-action passes, bootlegs and rollouts, Wilson is a natural fit for what Shanahan would want under center.
More importantly, the accuracy is there, too, as evidenced by Wilson’s 74.6 completion percentage so far in 2020.
Wilson could be a riser in big boards between now and draft day, potentially warranting a trade up from No. 15.
For now, however, he winds up going to San Francisco right where it wants him to be.