Trey Lance, Mac Jones or Justin Fields?

Six experts debate best option to become future defender for San Francisco 49ers with third overall pick in NFL 2021 draft

SANTA CLARA – Among the many decisions taken by the general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan since they took the reins San Francisco 49ers, No one exceeds the one waiting for them on April 29.

After completing an exchange to move up in the order of the selections from The 2021 project, Niners They will invest the number 3 in the general election to choose their next franchise defender. The question now is,which?

“San Francisco I had made the decision to go from 12 to 3 with the idea that Trevor Lawrence Yes Zach Wilson they will disappear “, explained the analyst from NFL project in order to ESPN, Todd McShay. “Maybe something will change, but if you are John Lynch Yes Kyle Shanahan, you have to make an ascension decision with this presumption. We’re really talking about Trey Lance of North Dakota, Mac Jones from Alabama Yes Justin Fields of Ohio“.

With this in mind, we interviewed six talent experts to get an idea of ​​what will influence the decision. San Francisco.

We rank the defenders

Matt Bowen, NFL ESPN analyst / former NFL defensive back:

1. Fields, 2. Lance, 3. Jones

“If I choose in the first five shifts, I want a prospect with cutting-edge skills and cutting-edge physical tools,” he said. Bowen. “The best accommodation [para Fields] In an intermediate attack game, you attack the center of the field and use your ability to move with running tricks and transports designed for defender and vertical throws. Now, who reminds you of that? It would fit very well there. “

June Jones, former NFL head coach / instructor at CoachTube.com:

1. Jones 2. Fields 3. Lance

“The boy from Alabama it could be the best of the whole project, “he said. June Jones about Mac Jones. “Everyone will say, ‘Well, he only played a year. “Well, what do you think? Go see him play that year and you guys will see what you get.”

Mel Kiper Jr., NFL Draft Analyst for ESPN:

1. Fields 2. Jones 3. Lance

“Skills, I think Fields he is the most gifted, “he explained porter. “In terms of skills, you can say that he is as good a defender as in this draft.”

Greg McElroy, high school football analyst for ESPN / former NFL defender:

1. Jones 2. Lance 3. Fields

“He would have the three relatively close,” he said. McElroy. “The distance between Zach [Wilson] Yes Mac is greater than the distance between Mac Yes Justin Fields“.

McShay:

1. Lance 2. Fields 3. Jones

“When you study the video Lance, there are a lot of offensive things in professional style and it processes things fast, “he said. McShay. “It’s just the kind of guy you want as a defender in terms of presentation every day and he gives you everything he has.”

JT O’Sullivan, former NFL quarterback / creator of the Youtube channel, “QB School”:

1. Fields 2. Lance 3. Jones

“Everyone would fit in well,” he said. O’Sullivan. “It simply came to our notice then Fields. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Trey Lance. If it is Mac JonesSo they have a different understanding of what the organization requires than I do as a foreigner. “

We study the defenders

Justin Fields, Ohio

6 feet 3 inches | 227 pounds | 22 starts college

Key statistics: In the last two seasons, 52% of deliveries Fields led to a first attempt, the highest rate of FBS among defenders who have played at least 10 games. His Total QBR In the third downhill time he was 90.0, the best of any of the top five potential defenders for him. The 2021 project.

Bowen: “He is a precise and determined passer, who has the ability to threaten deeply with the placement of the ball. What stands out most when you watch him play is his precision at deep passes. He has high athletic skills, both inside , as well as in the pocket. It’s super competitive and tough. Fight. “

McElroy: “He tends to stare at his wide receiver sometimes and doesn’t have the kind of anticipation I’d like to see from him. Now he has an arm strong enough to compensate at the collegiate level, but I’m not sure that he will be able to compensate, therefore, at least at the beginning of his career, in NFL“.

O’Sullivan: “He is a prototype of what has become the league with a great athlete who plays the top position. He can create, he can extend, he can run and he can complete all the shots in and out of the numbers, on the field … Some deliveries seemed that he’s trying to do too much. These genres will get you in trouble on Sunday. They’re definitely fixable. But the ability to play, the dynamic athlete, what he manages to do with his size is just special.

McShay: “He tends to stick with his main goal. And part of that is that he likes to see how the receiver is out of control, so I think he’s going to have to adapt to a system of NFL in terms of processing from the first progression to the second to the third faster and anticipating the tones in which you do not see how the receiver is unmarked. It will be an adjustment, but of the three, he is the one with the best physical tools. “

---

Mac Jones, Alabama

6 feet 3 inches | 214 pounds | Start 17 colleges

Key statistics: Total QBR from Jones of 96.1 for 2020 was the highest for any defender in the 17 seasons the metric was used, surpassing the previously held mark. Kyler Murray from Oklahoma (95.4) from 2018.

Jones: “His deep passing accuracy could be the best I’ve qualified in 30 years. I don’t think anyone has completed the percentages in the 25-meter ground that this child has made … The kind of pass that Mac He throws those receivers, they could run deep, cross, the ball is always about 18 inches in front of the receiver and does not have to work to get the ball. That’s where the accuracy is different. “

Bowen: “This is what we lose sight of and I do too: we focus too much on the ability of a second reaction and movement, which I think are so important that I think you have to take that into account. NFL today, but if you can’t consistently perform routine transitions, it doesn’t matter. If you can’t read the field and make consistent passes out of pocket, anything else, it’s hard to win games when you can’t shoot and win out of pocket. Mac Jones you can throw it out of your pocket, you can throw it in advance, I think it processes well. He doesn’t have a huge arm, but he can anticipate those windows and shoot with placement and it will be a step of time and rhythm, something you need if you are offended. Kyle Shanahan. From the deception of running, his supporting leg touches the ground and the ball has already come out. You need to be able to anticipate where the ball will be thrown to find the window that Kyle creates you within the path scheme “.

McShay: “Just sitting with him a few times to talk and then talk to [el entonces coordinador ofensivo de Alabama] Steve Sarkisian three times this year to prepare for matches, Sark told me he installed more for Mac Jones than you installed for any college defender. Given the history Sark, that says a lot … I think he would like it Kyle you have that mind on your defender. A kind of extension of coaches and all the things you can install. They are built to win very soon and there will be no such learning curve or adjustment with it. Now, there are physical limitations, so you don’t get athletics. You need to be able to make it a success with your scheme. “

O’Sullivan: “I think when he generalized here, the teams are trying to protect your performance on Sunday and I don’t know how we can look at a potential as Justin Fields and think, “Well, your roof is the same as the roof of Mac Jones‘. We may not agree, but that is my opinion Justin Fields has the ability to be a little more consistent in creating the pieces and is able to do things that Mac Jones you just can’t. “

---

Trey Lance, North Dakota

6 feet 4 inches | 226 pounds | Start 17 colleges

Key statistics: In 2019, Lance took 287 passes without interception. Since 2000, he is the only defender of Division I in attempting more than 200 expeditions in a campaign without being intercepted.

McShay: “Lance it is probably the largest projection of the three, as it comes from the level FCS and has only 17 starts, with only one game last year. But all three have areas for improvement. With Lance, is its accuracy. It is not always easy to correct. But, as I saw with a guy like. Josh Allen, when you have the mobility to expand the games and create with your feet … which adds a whole new element to the offense … I have seen some improvements, certainly with Josh AllenBut it needs to improve the consistency of the footwork to be more consistent with its passing placement. “

Bring: “If you are looking for a double threat, I would take it Fields before Lance. I do not understand the fascination for Lance. I understand that he got great numbers, but he did it against a bad competition, I think he deserves to be in the Top-10, but if you talk about putting him before someone who played in Ohio State and faced elite rivals, played a semifinal against Lawrence and got over it, this boy played against Central Arkansas and he didn’t do well throwing the ball. I have an Lance in the Top-10, but I haven’t had it before Fields“.

McElroy: “I think Trey Lance has something of Josh Allen on him and is part of the reason he intrigues me as a prospect. I like Trey Lance, I just think there is a lot to polish. But, you can argue the case that it has a high ceiling, like anyone is in this project, if things go well. That’s what I thought Josh Allen, but I didn’t think so Josh Allen he was as athletic as he was … I think he was a man among the boys at the level where he played and, of course, he did it in a kind of star team, but the same argument can be made with Jones Yes Fields. … Its potential is really interesting. He can move and has great fluidity in his game. Obviously, he has the brute power that few have … Some things about progression, I haven’t seen as many problems with progress as I’ve seen with Fields“.

Jones: “I like him as an athlete. Until he gets to a passing system, he can make a few games now, he can run, he can shoot, his completion rate wasn’t very high for the kind of offense he was, but I think it’s “One of those guys you used to invest in the third to fifth rounds, and he could and could grow.”