5 quarterback options for SF 49ers in wake of Matt Stafford trade

SF 49ers Option No. 1: NFL Draft

If anything, at least the Niners are still holding onto the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which probably would have been needed to acquire Matthew Stafford from Detroit.

It helps, too, the 2021 class is notably deep at quarterback, and there are a lot of upper-tier options Kyle Shanahan and Co. could target in Round 1. While some of the big names like Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and BYU’s Zach Wilson would probably require lucrative trade-up packages to get into the top three or four picks, some mid-tier first-round options like North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Alabama’s Mac Jones could be in play after the first 10 picks are made.

There’s also the understanding San Francisco won’t have to necessarily move on from Jimmy Garoppolo even if it takes a quarterback early on draft day.

Sure, this would create a bit of controversy within the quarterback room in 2021. But at least a promising up-and-coming quarterback could push Jimmy G in the immediate future. And if that rookie fails to develop quickly enough, Garoppolo is still under contract through 2022.

At the same time, the SF 49ers could also part ways with Garoppolo this offseason and put all their faith into a top-drafted quarterback.

While it might not be the safest option, it certainly seems like the easiest to obtain after Stafford’s deal to Los Angeles.