Garoppolo saving 49ers from draft’s QB derby

SANTA CLARA – Today’s NFL Draft promises an unpredictable quarterback derby. Wake the 49ers up when those pickings are done. They’re set, thanks to Jimmy Garoppolo.

Four years removed from his second-round selection by the New England Patriots, Garoppolo is beaming as he prepares for his first full season as the 49ers quarterback, and he’s even conducting throwing sessions with receivers on the weekends beyond the team-supervised offseason program that began last week.

“It kinds of gets us away from the coaches and everything, and allows me to talk to the receivers about specific things, or the tight ends or running backs,” Garoppolo said.

General manager John Lynch relishes the fact a quarterback With Jimmy Garoppolo signed long term, the San Francisco 49ers won’t need to worry about taking a quarterback when they pick at No. 9 in today’s NFL Draft.

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isn’t needed with their top pick, at No. 9 overall.

“We’re sitting back and couldn’t be more happy with the way things broke,” Lynch said. “But it wasn’t a bad year to be searching for a quarterback because of the multiple options out there in free agency and the draft.”

Lynch says four quarterbacks are first-round worthy – presumably Sam Darnold, Josh Alllen, Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield, although Lamar Jackson and Mason Rudolph also have drawn first-round chatter.

“One of the fun things is we haven’t spent a whole lot of time on those guys,” Lynch said. “It’s just the reality. We were on that process early. “

Then came Garoppolo last Oct. 30 from the Patriots, and they rewarded his 5-0 December debut with the richest contract in NFL history in February.