The 49ers hit the nuclear option in Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft. Instead of waiting for the board to shake out to see if a quarterback falls to them, they execute a trade with the Falcons to move up four spots to No. 8 to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.
Kiper doesn’t specify what the move up would cost the 49ers in his mock, but he does write that Atlanta would “get pick No. 12, the 49ers’ second-rounder this year and a future pick.” He later specifies that the future pick could be San Francisco’s 2022 first-round selection.
Given that Atlanta may be looking for Matt Ryan’s successor, it’s easy to see how they could really drive up the asking price for the 49ers to move up four spots.
Let’s assume it costs two first-round picks and a second-round pick for the 49ers to snag Fields.
The former Buckeye is a talented passer with plenty of mobility to extend plays with his legs, move the pocket, and throw on the run. He completed 68.4 percent of his throws for 5,373 yards, 63 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in 22 games the last two seasons. Fields also scored 15 touchdowns on the ground in those two years.
If head coach Kyle Shanahan believes Fields can be great and help his team contend for Super Bowls, a couple first-round choices and a second-round pick would be a small price to pay for a franchise quarterback. It’s a move the 49ers should absolutely make since they’d immediately upgrade their QB2 spot while bringing in a talented player who would be the long-term answer under center. He’d also give San Francisco the option to trade Jimmy Garoppolo and start Fields in 2021 if they’re comfortable moving forward with a rookie quarterback.
One hurdle that comes up is that this deal would leave the 49ers with zero additional selections in the first 100 picks. They wouldn’t select again until their compensatory third-round pick. With numerous holes to fill and not a lot of free-agent money to spend, San Francisco needs some draft capital to replenish their roster. However, if it means landing a franchise quarterback, it might be worth the immediate adversity of not having picks.