SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco 49ers have made a move that will “have ramifications for years to come,” according to long time NFL reporter Adam Schefter. The team is sending their No. 12 pick, a 2022 third-round pick, and first round picks in 2022 and 2023 to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the Dolphins No. 3 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
There are rumors surfacing that the team is interested in drafting a quarterback with the No. 3 overall, according to NFL.com, CBS Sports, ESPN, and other mock drafts. The Niners currently have Jimmy Garoppolo atop their QB depth chart, who signed a 5-year, $137.5 million contract extension with the team in 2018.
“Jimmy G” led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV in 2020, where he lost the Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers were winning in the fourth quarter 20-10, before Mahomes led a 21-0 Chiefs run that led to their victory, 31-10.
Despite this initial success, Garoppolo has struggled to stay healthy. He has missed 23 games in the past three years, only playing 25 games since he signed his 5-year contract. He has been sidelined with a torn ACL and several ankle sprains.
A deep quarterback draft this year gives the 49ers plenty of options if they choose to move on from their injury-prone Garoppolo. Alabama’s Mac Jones, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance are all expected to be drafted in the top 10 picks, according to CBS Sports and NFL.com.
The 49ers finished last in the NFC West last year, with a record of 6-10. They have remained active this offseason, re-signing left tackle Trent Williams for six years, fullback Kyle Juszczyk for five years, and cornerbacks Jason Verrett (one year), Dontae Johnson (one year), and Emmanuel Moseley (two years). They also signed free agent defensive lineman Samson Ebukam to a 2-year deal and pro-bowl center Alex Mack to a 3-year deal.
The first round of the NFL Draft is on April 29. The Jacksonville Jaguars will be selecting first overall, likely to pick the consensus number 1 prospect, quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson.
