Mac Jones

In his final mock draft, ESPN's Todd McShay predicted the San Francisco 49ers will select North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the most discussed selection ahead of Thursday night's first round.

Here's a look at the top 10:

• 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
• 2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
• 3. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
• 4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
• 5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
• 6. Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
• 7. Detroit Lions: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
• 8. Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
• 9. Denver Broncos: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
• 10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

The New England Patriots select Alabama's Mac Jones at No. 15 to cap the Round 1 quarterback picks.

San Francisco's decision at No. 3 is going to shape the remainder of the first round. Lawrence and Wilson are virtual locks to land with the Jags and Jets, respectively.

The Niners have been mostly linked to Lance or Jones, but Fields is also a possibility. The team's brass has played its cards close to the vest since making a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins to move up in the order in March. The only shock would be if they don't take a quarterback at all.

"It's a unique situation," general manager John Lynch said. "We have the third pick and typically No. 3 picks at quarterback, they're going to teams that aren't that good. I think our roster's pretty good. We need to stay healthy. There's a lot of things that have to happen. But I think our roster's pretty healthy in terms of talent. So I think it can be a really exciting environment for who we decide on to come in and play when they're ready to play."

Jones is the most NFL-ready signal-caller of the team's three options, but the 49ers don't necessarily have to start their rookie Week 1. They could keep Jimmy Garoppolo for another year if they want to take a high-upside talent like Lance or Fields and bring them along a little slower.

Meanwhile, the Patriots remain in the market for the long-term successor for Tom Brady, and getting one without having to trade a king's ransom to move up from No. 15 would be a major victory for head coach Bill Belichick and Co.

Belichick is close friends with Alabama coach Nick Saban, so he should have all the information he needs to decide whether the 2020 Manning Award winner has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

The most notable move in the bottom half of the first round in McShay's final mock is the Buffalo Bills trading up from No. 30 to No. 22 in a deal with the Tennessee Titans. They select Clemson running back Travis Etienne to round out an already star-studded offense.

Thursday's first round kicks off at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on the B/R App, Twitter and YouTube.

The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly not expected to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo leading up to or during the 2021 NFL draft, barring something unforeseen.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, a source said Thursday the chances of the Niners dealing Jimmy G are "remote." NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added that the 49ers won't trade Garoppolo "unless the value overwhelms them."

The 49ers made a big move up in the first round of the draft, going from No. 12 to No. 3 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have since made it clear they are targeting a quarterback.

The belief is that Trevor Lawrence will go first overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Zach Wilson will go second to the New York Jets, leaving the 49ers to choose between Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

Rapoport reported this week the Niners have narrowed their choice down to either Jones or Lance.

The 29-year-old Garoppolo is coming off an injury-plagued 2020 season that saw him miss 10 games because of an ankle ailment. He largely struggled when he played, completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,096 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

In parts of four seasons with the 49ers since they acquired him from the New England Patriots in 2017, he has started more than six games in a season only once. He accomplished that feat when he started all 16 games in 2019, leading San Francisco to the Super Bowl.

Garoppolo is 22-8 as a starter for the Niners, and his numbers were solid in 2019, as he completed 69.1 percent of his attempts for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 picks.

One team that could conceivably be interested in Jimmy G is the Pats since head coach Bill Belichick is the one who drafted him in 2014. With Tom Brady no longer blocking the way, Garoppolo would be able to ascend to the starting spot in New England.

The Patriots are in a tough spot in the draft, as they could use an upgrade over veteran Cam Newton, who struggled mightily last season. They own the 15th overall pick, however, meaning they would likely need to trade up to select a top-five quarterback prospect.

Failing that, striking a deal with the 49ers for Garoppolo may not be outside the realm of possibility, although Shanahan and Lynch seem happy to enter the 2021 season with both Garoppolo and a rookie first-round pick on the roster at quarterback.

Garoppolo will also make $24.1 million in 2021 and $24.2 million in 2022 under his current contract, making him even harder to move.

DeVonta Smith's weight has been a subject of intense scrutiny ahead of the 2021 NFL draft, but two of his Alabama teammates believe the discussion is a waste of time.

Speaking to Tyler R. Tynes of GQ, Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris called the narrative around the receiver's weight "bulls--t."

“He's lined up against everybody, all the top dudes, and is exposing them," said Harris. "The best defensive backs out there. He's one of the hardest players I've ever played with."

Quarterback Mac Jones told Tynes he never gave any thought to how much Smith weighed:

"Some people wanna talk and be rah-rah. But Smitty's kinda old school—like he's the man, but he's never gonna tell you. He's a total dog. I never even knew how much Smitty weighed. Even when we were at [camps] in high school, he was the skinniest guy out there but he was dicing people up. Catching balls on people's heads. The weight doesn't matter if you can do what he can do. And, yeah, it does piss me off."

Smith was the first wide receiver in 29 years to win the Heisman Trophy in 2020, but his size has led to some talk that he could slide in the first round Thursday.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Smith measured in at just over six feet tall and 166 pounds during an in-person medical check.

Numerous first-round wide receivers have been shorter than Smith and not weighed much more. For example, John Ross III was 5'11" and 188 pounds when the Cincinnati Bengals selected him No. 9 overall in 2017.

The St. Louis Rams drafted Tavon Austin eighth overall in 2013 after he measured in at 5'9" and 174 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has no concerns about Smith's ability to transition into the NFL. He ranks the Alabama star as the No. 3 overall prospect and says he's a "superb route runner with great hands who knows how to get open."

Neither Ross nor Austin came close to matching Smith's production in college. The 22-year-old posted 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019, and he led the nation with 117 receptions, 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games to help the Crimson Tide win a national title last season.

Amid speculation that the San Francisco 49ers will select Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the team was reportedly still debating who it would draft over the weekend before coming to a decision.

Appearing on ESPN's Get Up!, Adam Schefter reported the 49ers "did not know who they were going to take" as recently as this past weekend because the gap between Jones, Trey Lance and Justin Fields "has been narrowed considerably" during the draft process:

However, Schefter believes San Francisco has come to a "consensus" on who to pick.

Since the 49ers acquired the third pick from the Miami Dolphins last month, the consensus among draft analysts and prognosticators has been that they will draft Jones.

Jones is coming off a historic 2020 season at Alabama. He threw for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and a 77.4 completion percentage in 13 starts to help the Crimson Tide win the national championship.

ESPN's Todd McShay reported Monday that San Francisco was divided on which quarterback to take: Head coach Kyle Shanahan preferred Jones, but the scouting department was pushing for Lance.

Shanahan was present at the pro-day workouts for Jones, Fields and Lance.

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, the 49ers were "extremely involved" in Lance's pro day April 19, including having him work with quarterback coach John Beck at Shanahan's request.

The 49ers are coming off a disappointing 2020 season in which several key starters missed multiple games because of injuries. They finished last in the NFC West with a 6-10 record after reaching the Super Bowl in 2019.