A different top quarterback from the 2021 NFL Draft class
The San Francisco 49ers head into this offseason with stability at quarterback — at least with their starter. Brock Purdy needs a backup, as Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen are free agents.
Signing Darnold last offseason was somewhat out of left field. And it was evident that Kyle Shanahan wanted Darnold, as he was signed on the first day of free agency. Will we see a similar situation this year?
The 49ers swung and missed on the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. After fielding the No. 3 overall pick from 2018, San Francisco has the third-highest odds of signing free agent quarterback Zach Wilson, who was selected one spot ahead of Trey Lance.
Here are the implied percentages:
The Field/Stays with Jets 25%
Los Angeles Rams: 22.2%
49ers: 14.3%
Denver Broncos: 12.5%
New Orleans Saints: 9.1%
Los Angeles Chargers 9.1%
Minnesota Vikings: 7.7%
To say Wilson has struggled would be a drastic understatement. The Jets weren’t able to accomplish anything with him under center. There were two games this past season where he threw more than two touchdowns in a game despite having 368 attempts.
If you’ve watched Wilson play, you know how he struggled to see the field or push the ball down the field. There’s more evidence against him than for Wilson when making a case to sign him.
Yes, he’s 24, but he was afforded an opportunity to play so he could develop, but the bad habits — like holding the ball and running into sacks — never went away.
The 49ers likely did thorough research on Wilson leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, and Kyle Shanahan could get a detailed first-hand report from Robert Saleh. Remember, the job of a backup quarterback is to be the eyes of the starter, where you help him in between series and in the meeting rooms. Does that sound like Wilson?
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