3 reasons why SF 49ers won’t move Jimmy Garoppolo

No. 1: SF 49ers in a tough spot for the NFL Draft

There are a number of potential plug-and-play starters at quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, and most of them will likely be long gone before the SF 49ers’ number is called at No. 12 overall.

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According to The Draft Network’s most recent mock, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance are all going to be off the board by the time the Niners select. Barring what would likely be a lucrative trade-up from its current spot, San Francisco is either looking at landing a second-tier name like Alabama’s Mac Jones or Florida’s Kyle Trask or waiting until much later to get a draft-and-develop player like Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond.

Either way, the latter two scenarios would almost guarantee Jimmy Garoppolo’s roster safety for 2021. Perhaps it would be good to have a relatively high-profile rookie quarterback push him. But it’s a safe bet none of the quarterbacks after the first big four would be options Kyle Shanahan would want to start right away in Week 1.

Going that route could still make Jimmy G something of a lame-duck candidate for 2021, as there would be an indication the SF 49ers could move on a year from now.

But in the immediate future, these reasons are strong enough to suggest Garoppolo sticks around for at least one more season.