Football

Fowler and Graziano: Kyle Shanahan has kept a receptive outlook during 49ers’ draft assessments

San Francisco 49ers fans may hear Mac Jones’ name called tomorrow evening while their group is on the clock. The previous Alabama quarterback may not be the most mainstream decision, however he is presumably the possibility who lead trainer Kyle Shanahan had his eye on a month ago when the Niners exchanged up to No. 3 generally.

“Sources believe that when the Niners traded up from No. 12 to No. 3 a month ago, they did so with Jones in mind,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano. “And sources also say that 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan — who ultimately gets to make the final decision here — has preferred Jones to the other two options since the process began.”

That doesn’t imply that Shanahan has been shut disapproved to different choices. The lead trainer and head supervisor John Lynch watched both Justin Fields of Ohio State and Trey Lance of North Dakota State face to face this month. To Shanahan, the pioneer may in any case be Jones, yet the mentor has tuned in to everyone around him.

“But there have been discussions in the building about whether Lance or Fields might be the better pick, and Shanahan has kept an open mind and listened to others in the organization make their cases,” Fowler and Graziano noted.

They added: “The 49ers, however, have entered the process with an open mind, and Fields and Lance have made compelling cases. We’re told the 49ers were pleased with how Fields handled himself throughout as he explained his decision-making and preparation. They felt, as did many other teams, that Lance came across incredibly well in virtual meetings and has a ton of intangibles.”

Jones stays the wagering top pick to be the No. 3 by and large pick, trailed by Lance and afterward Fields. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport given an account of Sunday night that the 49ers’ choice had boiled down to two possibilities — Jones and Lance.

“Fields appears to have finished third in this competition, as the discussion over the weekend and early this week was about Jones vs. Lance,” composed Fowler and Graziano.

While there may have still been some vulnerability heading into the end of the week, it seems like the 49ers have arrived at an agreement inside the structure on who to draft.

“Now, I believe, as of this morning, they have made that decision,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this morning. “I believe they’ve come to a consensus here in the last 48 hours, the last 24 or so hours, to reach a decision. We don’t know what that decision is, and we very well will not know what that decision is leading into the draft.”