4 mistakes 49ers can’t afford to make in 2021 NFL Draft

No. 1: 49ers can’t draft Mac Jones at No. 3 overall

If the 49ers stayed put at No. 12 overall and selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, it might have been a bit of a reach but at least an understandable one.

The Niners are keyed in on a quarterback to replace Jimmy Garoppolo, and Jones is generally viewed as the fifth-best option behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.

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Yet the gap between Jones and those four is quite large.

Despite the aggressive trade-up, there’s still a buzz San Francisco is honing in on Jones. While his football IQ, accuracy and ability to read through progressions is notable, he certainly doesn’t come with the additional upside someone like Fields, who also possesses essentially those same traits, has.

And at No. 3 overall? It would be a massive reach.

Jones likely could have been had at No. 12 overall. Even if the 49ers felt another team would reach for Jones, moving up between pick Nos. 6 and 10 would have been a much more reasonable gamble to grab someone of Jones’ caliber. It certainly wouldn’t have cost those added draft picks to move up that high.

True, there’s always the argument teams should do whatever it takes to “get their guy.” But selecting Jones wouldn’t equate to a wise use of assets, meaning the Niners would be doing more damage to their own good by trading up in that manner, selecting Jones and passing up on talents like Fields or Lance.