2022 NFL Draft: How 49ers won Round 1 without doing a thing
By Peter Panacy
49ers win Round 1 of NFL Draft with only one QB being selected
As strange as it might sound, there’s still a market the 49ers can capitalize on for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
And it might have improved a bit in the wake of Round 1.
Despite the 2022 draft being notably weak at the position, only one quarterback was selected out of the entirety of the first round, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, grabbed at No. 20 overall.
Even with the weakness of this year’s class, it’s almost inevitable teams will fully reach on quarterbacks, overvaluing them and then hyping them up by saying the things you’d expect: “he’s a steal” or “he’ll be the real deal on this team.”
It’s possible four quarterbacks could have gone in Round 1. With only Pickett having been selected, the likes of Liberty’s Malik Willis, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral and North Carolina’s Sam Howell could all find themselves grabbed in the second round.
Read More: 49ers live 2022 NFL Draft tracker with picks, grades and analysis
OK, so how does that impact the Niners?
Assuming each of those three remaining top QBs winds up getting selected to start off day two, that’ll ultimately push more prospects down the line towards San Francisco’s first pick of this year’s draft, No. 61 overall.
Simply put, teams passing on quarterbacks just thickened the pool of talent from which the 49ers need to land impact talent.