49ers grab Justin Fields, build around him in mock NFL Draft

Niner Noise’s latest mock NFL Draft has the 49ers taking Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 3 overall, then supporting him on Days 2 and 3.

Right now, essentially the lone question about the San Francisco 49ers is which quarterback they’ll select with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Much of the draft community seems to be leaning towards Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, which despite whatever sense it can make, stands in contrast to the prolific potential the other two top candidates, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance and Ohio State’s Justin Fields, have at the position.

If there’s one thing for certain, it’s the reality the Niners are keeping their true intentions close to the vest. Perhaps the only two who know which quarterback is preferred? Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

Either way, San Francisco will want to build around a rookie quarterback, both for helping out a still playoff-caliber roster now with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm, and for the long run when the newly drafted signal-caller takes over.

So, in this mock NFL Draft, the 49ers do just that after making the smartest of the possible moves: grabbing Fields at No. 3 overall.

Round 1, Pick No. 3 Overall: 49ers select quarterback Justin Fields, Ohio State

Jones might be the safest of the three available options and arguably has the highest floor, too.

But Shanahan has already seen firsthand what playmaking quarterbacks like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes or the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen can do, particularly when asked to improvise on the fly.

That’s a trait Jones doesn’t excel at, yet it’s something Fields was able to do with great regularity over his tenure with the Buckeyes.

Fields isn’t just a one-read quarterback either. If anything, he relies a bit too much on his read progressions, often taking too many sacks while waiting for his receivers to get open. But that’s typically a good trait, especially considering his 70.2 completion percentage to go along with a strong arm with good downfield range.

Tack on Fields’ ability to run on either designed plays or scrambles, and the 49ers offense would get that dimension it never had with Garoppolo.

There’s Fields’ football IQ, too, which is already something that should push him up Shanahan’s draft board, considering the complexity of the system.

The Niners were already bold with their trade-up to No. 3. Now it’s time to complete the action of being bold by selecting Fields there.