49ers Draft North Dakota State QB Trey Lance At No. 3
With the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. The Niners considered a number of QBs at No. 3 overall, but Lance had emerged as a potential frontrunner in recent days.
Alabama’s Mac Jones and Ohio State’s Justin Fields may be slightly disappointed. Both passers conducted additional pro days specifically geared for the 49ers, but they weren’t able to unseat the North Dakota State phenom.
Despite some (reported) consideration for Jones, the front office ultimately went for Lance, who many say has more upside. Lance did a second audition for the Niners a week and a half ago, using many of Kyle Shanahan‘s favorite drills. Apparently, that Pro Day re-do made an impression. Lance hardly played last year, but he flexed his talent in 2019 as he went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.
While the first two picks of the draft were clear-cut, there were plenty of questions surrounding the third-overall pick. Even the 49ers seemed unsure about who they were going to take when they paired a pair of future first-round picks with No. 12 to trade up for No. 3 from the Dolphins. San Francisco never really showed their hand, although in recent days it sounded like the organization had settled on either Lance or Jones. This made the No. 3 pick the most interesting selection in the draft, and it will have an impact on the rest of the evening.
Despite being selected with the third-overall pick, Lance might not necessarily be under center come Week 1 considering the presence of Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster. Still, despite the front office declaring that they’re fine keeping a pair of high-profile quarterbacks, there’s a good chance the veteran is moved (either via trade or release) prior to the start of the season, providing a clear path to playing time for the rookie QB.
Jets Draft Zach Wilson No. 2 Overall
Trevor Lawrence was a virtual lock for the No. 1 pick, but Zach Wilson‘s odds of going to the Jets weren’t far behind. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Jets tapped the BYU passer to be their next quarterback of the future. 
Wilson didn’t earn as much fanfare as Lawrence, but he still offers tons of potential. The 6’2″ passer is fresh off of a breakout season with a 73.5% completion rate, good for No. 2 in the nation. Meanwhile, his 33 passing touchdowns placed him third, and he threw just three interceptions. Wilson’s mobility powered him to ten rushing touchdowns last year, further vaulting him up the Jets’ draft board. It also helped that he hit it off with Jets GM Joe Douglas in the interview process.
The knocks on Wilson are few and far between. Some say his decision making was questionable in 2019, a season cut short by a thumb surgery. But, last year, Wilson kept the turnovers to a minimum and consistently found the open man. Some also wonder if he’ll have durability issues as his ~210-pound frame adjusts to harder hits at the pro level.
Regardless, the Jets are supremely confident in Wilson and his upside, which is why they traded No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold to the Panthers.
Jaguars Draft Trevor Lawrence No. 1 Overall
No surprise here. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 
Typically, teams like to manufacture some mystery with the top overall pick. That wasn’t the case here. New head coach Urban Meyer openly professed his love for Lawrence months ago, all but cementing his arrival in Jacksonville.
“I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed,” Meyer said in March. “Trevor checks all the boxes, you know?”
“The number one common quality of every great player, not just quarterback, is competitive maniac. He’s 34-2. Won a national title as a true freshman. Is a winner. I’ve seen him up close and in person compete. And then character. I see him and I witness with my players, when the guys get drafted high, a lot of people get . . . They have influences in their live. Like, whether it be social media, whether it be other things that really don’t pertain to winning.”
Lawrence was predictably brilliant at his pro day, leaving no doubt for Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and the rest of the Jaguars’ contingent.
In his final season at Clemson, Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. And, with 69.2% of his passes completed, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, despite losing time to injury.
Now, it’s on to the Jets, who fell just short in their #TankforTrevor pursuit.
2022 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 3 to officially pick up their options on 2018 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. In a change from years past, fifth-year option seasons are fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement, and specific performance metrics:
- 2-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
- 1-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
- Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the 3rd-20th highest salaries at their position:
- 75%+ snaps in two of their first three seasons
- 75%+ average across all three seasons
- 50%+ in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will get the average of the 3rd-25th top salaries at their position.
With the deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:
Updated 4-30-21, 4:24pm CT
- QB Baker Mayfield, Browns: Exercised ($18.858MM)
- RB Saquon Barkley, Giants: Exercised ($7.217MM)
- QB Sam Darnold, Panthers (via Jets): Pending ($18.858MM)
- CB Denzel Ward, Browns — Exercised ($13.294MM)
- LB Bradley Chubb, Broncos — Pending ($12.716MM)
- G Quenton Nelson, Colts — Pending ($13.754MM)
- QB Josh Allen, Bills: Pending ($23.106MM)
- LB Roquan Smith, Bears: Exercised ($9.735MM)
- OT Mike McGlinchey, 49ers: Exercised ($10.88MM)
- QB Josh Rosen, Cardinals: N/A
- S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers (via Dolphins): Exercised ($10.612MM)
- DT Vita Vea, Buccaneers: Exercised ($7.638MM)
- DT Daron Payne, Washington — Exercised ($8.529MM)
- DE Marcus Davenport, Saints: Exercised ($9.553MM)
- OT Kolton Miller, Raiders — N/A (extension)
- LB Tremaine Edmunds, Bills: Pending ($12.716MM)
- S Derwin James, Chargers: Exercised ($9.052MM)
- CB Jaire Alexander, Packers: Exercised ($13.294MM)
- LB Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys: Pending ($9.145MM)
- C Frank Ragnow, Lions: Exercised ($12.657MM)
- C Billy Price, Bengals: Declined ($10.413MM)
- LB Rashaan Evans, Titans: Pending ($9.735MM)
- OT Isaiah Wynn, Patriots: Pending ($10.413 MM)
- WR D.J. Moore, Panthers: Exercised ($11.116MM)
- TE Hayden Hurst, Falcons (via Ravens): Pending ($5.428MM)
- WR Calvin Ridley, Falcons: Pending ($11.116MM)
- RB Rashaad Penny, Seahawks: Pending ($4.523MM)
- S Terrell Edmunds, Steelers: Pending ($6.753MM)
- DT Taven Bryan, Jaguars: Pending ($7.638MM)
- CB Mike Hughes, Vikings: Pending ($12.643MM)
- RB Sony Michel, Patriots: Pending ($4.523MM)
- QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Exercised ($23.106MM)
49ers Tried To Trade For Aaron Rodgers
The 49ers reached out to the Packers on Wednesday to inquire about trading for Aaron Rodgers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). However, no formal offer was made. Furthermore, a source tells Pelissero there’s a “zero percent chance” that the Packers will trade the star quarterback. 
The Niners have been doing their due diligence on QBs, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In addition to Rodgers, they’ve also been poking around on embattled Texans passer Deshaun Watson. This wasn’t the first time they’ve called on Rodgers either. But, just as before, they were quickly rebuffed.
“Aaron’s our guy; he’s going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future,” GM Brian Gutekunst said recently. “We’re excited about the kind of the things we’re going to try to accomplish here over the next couple years. So we certainly think with the contract that you’re kind of talking about is something we’ll work through. We’re going to have to do probably a few things with different contracts as we head toward the season and then through the season to make sure that our salary cap situation, not only this year, but in 2022 is square. So we’re not done yet. We’ve done a lot to get here. We’ve kind of been doing things as we go and we will continue to do that as we go.”
There have been some rumblings this offseason that Rodgers could want out of Green Bay, and if those rumblings are true it’s not hard to see him wanting to play for the 49ers. Rodgers is a Northern California native, and went to school at Cal in the Bay Area.
He has repeatedly hedged about his future when speaking publicly, recently saying again that things were “out of his control.” He certainly hasn’t sounded like someone who’s sure they’re going to be a Packer for life. Either way Rodgers’ contract needs to be adjusted for cap purposes, and there’s apparently a bit of a hold up with that, so something is definitely afoot.
It’s just hard to say what right now. Rodgers will in all likelihood be under center for the Packers come Week 1, but there’s a lot brewing beneath the surface here. The fact that the 49ers felt like it was worth making a call is revealing in its own right.
Seahawks Sign DT Robert Nkemdiche
The Seahawks added some defensive tackle depth in advance of tonight’s draft. Robert Nkemdiche, a first-rounder five years ago, has agreed to join Seattle, per a club announcement. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Nkemdiche, 26, had lots of hype coming out of Mississippi in 2016. The Cardinals snagged him with the No. 29 overall pick, but he was hardly seen in his first two pro seasons. Then, in 2018, things started to look up for the imposing lineman as he registered 4.5 sacks, 36 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits in ten games (six starts). Unfortunately, that progress was halted by a knee injury, which led to his release in 2019.
The Dolphins picked Nkemdiche up and deployed him twice in ’19 before putting him back on the curb. After sitting out for the 2020 season, Nkemdiche will now look to revitalize his career with Pete Carroll & Co.
Saints Pushing For Top 10 Pick
The Saints are working the phone lines to try and trade up to the top 10, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears. Currently, the Saints are heading into tonight with the No. 28 overall pick. 
[RELATED: Saints’ Sean Payton Says Team Has To Add CB]
Earlier this week, we heard that the Saints are looking at Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. Agent Drew Rosenhaus says his client is on track to be gone by the No. 20 pick, but it’s hard to imagine teams in the top 10 reaching for him. The Virginia Tech product is talented, but he’s undergone multiple surgeries and hasn’t played since 2019.
Instead, if the Saints are thinking cornerback in the early order, they may be eyeing the likes of Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn. Saints GM Mickey Loomis could also consider top-tier quarterbacks in the wake of Drew Brees’ retirement. Other (and perhaps less pressing needs) include linebacker, wide receiver, defensive line and tight end.
2021 NFL Draft: Team By Team
The 2021 NFL Draft has arrived! Soon, picks will soon be swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. But, before the trading frenzy starts, here’s a look at the draft picks owned by each team:
[RELATED: 2021 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Arizona Cardinals – Picks: 6
Round 1: No. 16 overall
Round 2: No. 49
Round 5: No. 160
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings)
Round 7: Nos. 243, 247 (from Bears through Raiders)
Atlanta Falcons — Picks: 9
Round 1: No. 4 overall
Round 2: No. 35
Round 3: No. 68
Round 4: No. 108
Round 5: Nos. 148, 182, 183
Round 6: Nos. 187, 219
Baltimore Ravens – Picks: 10
Round 1: Nos. 27, 31 (from Chiefs) overall
Round 2: No. 58
Round 3: Nos. 94 (from Chiefs), 104
Round 4: Nos. 131, 136 (from Chiefs)
Round 5: Nos. 171, 184
Round 6: No. 210
Buffalo Bills — Picks: 7
Round 1: No. 30 overall
Round 2: No. 61
Round 3: No. 93
Round 5: Nos. 161 (from Raiders), 174
Round 6: No. 213
Round 7: No. 236 (from Panthers)
Carolina Panthers — Picks: 8
Round 1: No. 8 overall
Round 2: No. 39
Round 3: No. 73
Round 4: No. 113
Round 5: No. 151
Round 6: Nos. 191 (from Broncos), 193, 222
Chicago Bears — Picks: 8
Round 1: No. 20 overall
Round 2: No. 52
Round 3: No. 83
Round 5: No. 164
Round 6: Nos. 204, 208 (from Seahawks through Dolphins), 221, 228
Cincinnati Bengals — Picks: 8
Round 1: No. 5 overall
Round 2: No. 38
Round 3: No. 69
Round 4: No. 111
Round 5: No. 149
Round 6: No. 190
Round 7: Nos. 202 (from Dolphins through Texans), 235 (from Lions through Seahawks)
49ers Unlikely To Trade Jimmy Garoppolo
Multiple teams are expected to contact the 49ers before and during the draft to inquire about the availability of Jimmy Garoppolo. However, as of this writing, the chances of him being traded are “remote,” one source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
The 49ers have insisted that Garoppolo will be their quarterback in 2021. Beyond that, of course, they’ll likely shift the responsibilities to whoever they select with the No. 3 overall pick. Things are further complicated by Jimmy G’s no-trade clause. Any team acquiring him would want a restructured contract, but Garoppolo can spike a deal if the terms aren’t to his liking.
“The biggest thing with Jimmy is his injuries,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said recently. “It’s been very tough for us when he’s been hurt. This happened two of these three years. That’s where it starts. Jimmy knows that. I’ve been very up front with him with everything…When you take a rookie quarterback and you take a veteran like Jimmy who we know we can win with, just to move on from that is something that’s not easy to do. That is a good situation for us and I think that is something that’ll be important to us this year.”
Last year, the Niners went 3-3 in the six games Garoppolo started. In total, he completed 67.1% of his passes for 1,096 yards and seven touchdowns against five interceptions. That’s a far cry from his best work two years ago, when he he racked up 3,978 passing yards and 27 TDs against 13 INTs.
Panthers Pick Up D.J. Moore’s Option
The Panthers have picked up D.J. Moore‘s option (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver is now under contract for the 2022 season at a guaranteed salary of $11.116MM.
This was the expected move, given Moore’s steady improvement across the last three years. In total, Moore has 208 catches, 3,156 receiving yards, and ten touchdowns across 46 career games. Last year, Moore managed 66 receptions for 1,193 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and four touchdowns in an otherwise turbulent year for Carolina.
Moore, the former No. 26 overall pick, now has fiscal security beyond the ’22 season. The same can’t be said for quarterback Sam Darnold — the No. 3 pick in the 2018 class. At least, not yet. The Panthers have until May 3rd to decide on the ex-Jet’s future, so they’ll likely hold off until after this weekend’s draft. Tonight, a first-round QB is very much in play for them at No. 8 overall.
Ohio State’s Justin Fields could be one option, but they could also target Alabama’s DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle to potentially supplant Robby Anderson in 2022.