SF 49ers NFL Draft: 5 day-three quarterbacks John Lynch should look at

The SF 49ers are likely to add a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. And if the selection is made on day three, these five could be targets.

There’s an extremely high chance general manager John Lynch and the SF 49ers select a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Exactly whom Lynch and the Niners select and when is contingent upon a lot of unknowns between now and this upcoming April. If San Francisco is certain to move on from its current starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, and doesn’t make any blockbuster offseason move to grab another bona fide starter, then the draft becomes the next likely route taken. And an early pick would be justified for a franchise-hopeful signal-caller.

But even if the SF 49ers stick it out with Jimmy G for at least another season, they’d be wise to add some youthful competition to the mix. After all, backup quarterbacks Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard are both poised for free agency this offseason, and one can assume neither will be back.

And it wouldn’t hurt to try developing someone with long-term potential to possibly take over for Garoppolo if things go right.

Armed with five picks between Rounds 5 through 7, along with a likely compensatory pick, it wouldn’t hurt Lynch and Co. to explore one of these prospect quarterbacks projected to be selected on day three of the 2021 NFL Draft.

SF 49ers Target No. 5: Levi Lewis, Louisiana

San Francisco has been slow to adapt to the growing trend of mobile quarterbacks who can pose threats with both their arms and legs. And while he won’t gain much of the attention as most of the high-profile quarterbacks to be had much earlier in this year’s draft, Louisiana’s Levi Lewis would be an enticing prospect to explore to match this dual-threat capability.

Lewis has a frame not unlike that of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. In fact, The Draft Network said the following about Lewis being a “poor man’s Kyler Murray” back in January of this year:

"Standing at just 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, Lewis and his left arm are an odd and quirky combination, but as Crabbs noted, he wins in an abundance of ways without having to meet the prototypical thresholds for the QB position. Putting up excellent production for the Ragin’ Cajuns, Lewis’ arm won’t ever be considered a howitzer, but he can simply get the job done both as a runner and passer. A poor man’s Kyler Murray indeed."

Lewis won’t wow with a lofty completion percentage, currently sitting at 61.7 over his three years with the Ragin’ Cajuns. But his 26-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2019 is hard to overlook, even though that number dipped to 17-to-7 over 10 games this season.

But one can accept that to a point by looking at his 6.5 yards-per-rush average with five touchdowns on the ground this season.

Pretty promising for a player who’ll likely be a seventh-round pick at best this April.