SF 49ers NFL Draft: 5 players who impressed most during CFB Playoff

SF 49ers Draft Target No. 3: Quarterback Mac Jones, Alabama

Mac Jones won out over Justin Fields, although it’s safe to say the former had far more offensive weapons with which to work, especially another player on this list we’ll get to.

Jones probably didn’t improve his NFL Draft stock, and it’ll likely be in the latter half of Round 1 anyway. But if the SF 49ers want to find a younger, cheaper version of their starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jones could be it.

The Alabama quarterback’s stat line — 36-of-45 for 464 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions — tells a partial story, and it’s mostly one of the Tide’s offensive dominance. But it was going to be interesting to see how Jones responded after a strip-sack fumble Ohio State recovered. That was a key moment thereafter, and Jones bounced back with an 11-play, 75-yard drive ending with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jones.

Jones is considered one of the more cerebral quarterbacks in this year’s draft. And while he won’t wow with athleticism, he did flash some ability to throw outside the numbers and push the ball down the field.

Those are elements generally lacking from Garoppolo on a consistent basis.

If San Francisco wants to move on from Jimmy G and can’t land one of the top-end quarterbacks in this year’s class like Fields, Jones could end up being a second-tier option to helm Kyle Shanahan’s system.