San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 NFL draft targets after free agency moves

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 2: Quarterback Trey Lance, North Dakota State

Yes, the 49ers could still draft a quarterback in Round 1 while remaining committed to Jimmy Garoppolo, at least for 2021.

But with the money the Niners are spending this offseason in free agency, there’s a chance the long-term plan would be to shift from Jimmy G’s expensive contract to a cheaper rookie deal.

Barring a would-be massive trade-up, San Francisco won’t land the top three quarterbacks in this year’s class: Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Perhaps the only player who could possibly slip to the 49ers at No. 12 overall is North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, largely because of his smaller-school pedigree and the fact he has just one true season under his belt, 2019, and sat out last year because of the pandemic.

That said, Lance’s skill set is awfully unique, and he’s capable of being that next evolution in dual-threat quarterbacks with plenty of big-play abilities.

Drafting Lance would all but signal the near end of the Garoppolo era in San Francisco.

But with some development, paired with a dynamic offense with weaponry all around, Lance could eventually thrive and become the 49ers’ next quarterbacking great within a year’s time.