NFL Draft 2021: 49ers get a QB in 3-round NFC West-only mock

The 49ers and the rest of the NFC West hope to improve in this year’s NFL Draft, and this mock looks at the Niners and their division rivals’ possible moves.

The San Francisco 49ers can think about what they want in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they should also be paying close attention to what their division rivals in the NFC West might be doing, too.

While the NFC West might not be the Class A division within the NFL — the AFC North is looking like it’s taking over that title — the Niners’ own division is still considered one of the toughest. Certainly within the NFC. San Francisco, the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams all have legitimate shots at making the postseason.

When looking at mock NFL Draft classes, decisions are typically made by one individual and not a collective with different agendas and priorities.

Sure, you’re reading the words from one person mocking out each pick all four teams in the NFC West have in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, so it’s a flawed technique. But at least from the 49ers’ vantage point, it can be valuable to predict which prospects the Niners’ division rivals may be targeting.

So that’s what we’ll do in this unique mock NFL Draft.

Ironically enough, San Francisco and Arizona are the only NFC West teams with first-round picks, currently, as the Rams sent off their first-round selection this year to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Seahawks shipped their Round 1 pick off to the New York Jets.

From that perspective, the 49ers have a bit of an advantage as they prepare for the No. 3 overall pick.

Let’s break down each of the NFC West selections in the first three rounds, however, kicking things off with the Niners’ top selection.