Team’s best QBs found in unexpected places
Joe Montana was a thirdround pick.
Steve Young was acquired in a trade.
And Jeff Garcia was signed after spending five seasons in the Canadian Football League.
Most teams land their franchise quarterback by using a premium draft pick, but the 49ers are an exception: Of the six QBs who have been voted to a Pro Bowl while playing for the 49ers, only Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie were acquired with a first- or second-round selection.
Given that, the 49ers will break from tradition if they locate their next elite QB with the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft Thursday night. And, despite
their desperate need at the position, the lukewarm reviews on this year’s class mean they very well could wait a bit before selecting a QB.
A host of NFL Network draft analysts are among those underwhelmed by a group headlined by North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes and Cal’s Davis Webb.
“I’m not banging the table for any of them,” Mike Mayock said.
Offered Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout: “I don’t think any of these guys are worth top-10 picks.”
For his part, former NFL defensive back Bucky Brooks provided praise, albeit faint: “I know there’s been a lot of shots taken at this class, but I do believe there’s some young developmental players at the position that are intriguing prospects.”
ESPN’s Jon Gruden agrees the top QBs aren’t likely to be first-year sensations. He views Pittsburgh’s Nathan Peterman, a potential third-round pick, as the most NFL-ready.
Of course, the only thing that matters to the 49ers is how general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan rate the QBs. They have had extensive interaction with the top five quarterback prospects, Lynch has repeatedly maintained that the group has received a bad rap, and the predraft rumor mill, full of misdirection and smokescreens, has churned out reports indicating the 49ers are high on Trubisky and Watson.
It’s worth noting that the 49ers are in a unique position when it comes to addressing the position.
They have signed Brian Hoyer, 31, a capable placeholder who has thrown 24 touchdown passes and six interceptions in his past 16 games, and won’t have to rush a rookie into the starting lineup. The lack of urgency to see a high-end pick pay immediate dividends is increased by the fact that Shanahan and Lynch have six-year contracts and don’t face winnow pressure after inheriting a 2-14 team.
As a result, a constant knock on this year’s QB class — their lack of NFL readiness — shouldn’t be as much of a concern for a team that can afford to patiently groom a rookie with promising traits.
“I think there’s talent in the class,” Mayock said, “but I think it’s going to take a year for most of these guys.”
The 49ers have drafted just two quarterbacks, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick, in the first four rounds since 2005, and their career arcs illustrate the value of patience at the position.
Smith, the No. 1 pick in 2005, endured a confidence-shattering first few seasons that began with a one-touchdown, 11-interception rookie campaign. Kaepernick, a 2011 secondround pick, mostly sat for 1½ seasons before leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012.
Kaepernick, who remains a free agent, has since declined, and his regression is why the 49ers are again searching for a quarterback.
It’s not an easy task, and their franchise history highlights the difficulty of evaluating QBs.
Of the nine they’ve selected in the first or second round, only Tittle and Brodie went to a Pro Bowl with the 49ers, and their last three first-rounders have been Smith and two busts: Jim Druckenmiller (1997) and Steve Spurrier (1967).
Meanwhile, Montana was the last pick of the third round in 1979, Young was a Buccaneers castoff, and Garcia wasn’t drafted out of San Jose State in 1994.
The point: The 49ers might not locate their next savior with their first pick Thursday; rather, they may find him in an unexpected place.
Anyone know anything about the best QBs in the CFL?