49ers roster: 4 players who increased stock value during 2021 OTAs

No. 1: 49ers Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

Is quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo going to be part of the 49ers’ long-term plans?

Probably not. At least not in the wake of the Niners trading up to the No. 3 overall spot in this year’s NFL Draft to grab another signal-caller, Trey Lance.

But Garoppolo appears to be taking it all in stride, trying to boost his own stock value in response to actually having some legitimate competition — something he didn’t exactly have the last three offseasons with quarterbacks Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard behind him.

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Garoppolo appears to have put on weight during the offseason, bulking up to guard against the kind of injuries he suffered in 2018 and 2020. And while his arm strength will never be what Lance has already displayed, Garoppolo’s poise within the pocket has been on full display, and it’s clear he has far better command of Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

While Lance might get there in time, it’s looking more and more as if the 2021 starting job is Garoppolo’s alone.

True, San Francisco could make Garoppolo a shocking post-camp cut this season or potentially move him between now and this year’s NFL trade deadline.

But the early results suggest the 49ers’ best interest would be to keep Garoppolo under center for the immediate future, only moving on to Lance when the time is ready.

Jimmy G is helping prevent that from being the case anytime soon.