ESPN’s Kiper Jr. invokes Brady legacy for Jones
ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has called an audible, projecting quarterback Mac Jones to the 49ers instead of Justin Fields from Kiper’s previous mock draft.
Why? Brace yourself for a lofty comparison to Tom Brady.
“You can say super-super intelligent, super-super accurate, super competitive, then that’s all the things that allowed Tom Brady to be successful,” Kiper said on Thursday’s media conference call.
“That’s not saying he’s going to be Tom Brady-successful,” Kiper said in couching his praise. “And that’s not saying he’s going to be Tom Brady; he’s the greatest of all time but who thought he was going to be anywhere close to that when he was a late sixth-round pick out of Michigan?
“I think Tom Brady really helped Mac Jones and he helped other quarterbacks along the way. You don’t need dual-threat quarterbacks to be effective.”
Let’s pause there. How effective has Kiper been in predicting the 49ers’ first-round moves since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over in 2017? Let’s look at his recent projections:
2017 (NO. 2) >> Defensive end Myles Garrett (No. 2)
WHAT HAPPENED >> Garrett went No. 1 to the Browns, who Kiper had mocked quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The 49ers traded down from Nos. 2 to 3 and
selected defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, who Kiper had to the 49ers in his third of four mock drafts.
2018 (NO. 9) >> Cornerback
Denzel Ward
WHAT HAPPENED >> Ward went No. 4 to the Browns, and the 49ers took offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey,
as at least one draft analyst correctly projected.
2019 (NO. 2) >> Defensive end Nick Bosa
WHAT HAPPENED >> Bingo! Kiper (and the 49ers) nailed it. Bosa won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, while No. 1 pick Kyler Murray took top offensive honors for Arizona.
2020 (NOS. 13, 31) >> Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
WHAT HAPPENED >> The
49ers passed on Jeudy and traded down to No. 14 for defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, then they traded up to take wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk at No. 25; Winfield went No. 45 to Tampa Bay.
Now the 49ers are debating Jones, Fields (Ohio State) and Trey Lance (North Dakota State) as top options for the No. 3 pick, presuming Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson go 1-2 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
Kiper thinks Fields will be the fifth quarterback taken.
Memo to Mel: Fields is not the fifth choice of 49ers’ fans, who have raged on social media at any mention of Jones.
“After Trevor, good luck trying to figure out the two quarterbacks who are going to be disappointments or busts. All four could be,” Kiper added. “Which ones are, I don’t have my crystal ball.”