Mac Jones Rumors: 49ers Traded for No. 3 Draft Pick Because They 'Covet' QB

Perhaps the biggest mystery of the 2021 NFL draft and one that will surely have a domino effect is who the San Francisco 49ers will take with the No. 3 pick after trading up to get it from the Miami Dolphins.

To hear ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. tell it, it's probably going to be Alabama's Mac Jones.

"All the buzz I've heard is that 49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan traded up nine spots because they covet Jones," he said. "So to answer the question directly, here's how I'd lay out the percentages as of today: 80% to Jones, 15% to Lance, 5% to Fields."

Kiper's words echo those from Peter King, who predicted the 49ers would take Jones in his Football Morning in America column even though he reported the team has not yet made up its mind just yet.

Despite the predictions from Kiper and King, Vegas believes San Francisco will take Fields.

As Will Brinson of CBS Sports passed along, the Ohio State product checks in as the favorite to go with the No. 3 pick on DraftKings Sportsbook:

B/R NFL Scouting Department ranks Fields as the second-best overall player in the entire draft, let alone quarterback. Jones checks in at No. 41 and the No. 5 quarterback behind Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, Fields, North Dakota State's Trey Lance and BYU's Zach Wilson.

B/R did tab Jones as the most accurate, although Fields was ranked as the one with the best mobility.

If the 49ers do take a quarterback at No. 3, it will signal a willingness to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo as a long-term option. Garoppolo is under contract through the 2022 season, but injuries have prevented him from fully living up to expectations with San Francisco.

The hopes of one of the league's most notable franchises may rest on the shoulders of Jones or Fields on draft day.