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2021 NFL Draft Rumors: 49ers Focused on Mac Jones, Trey Lance with No. 3 Pick
April 26, 2021
With the 2021 NFL draft only days away, the San Francisco 49ers may have narrowed their options with the No. 3 overall pick.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Niners "are down to two prospects," with Alabama's Mac Jones and North Dakota State's Trey Lance believed to be the players in question.
Jones has been a rumored target for San Francisco for the last few weeks, but CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora was among those wondering whether the Crimson Tide star will land in the Bay Area.
Meanwhile, Rich Eisen said Wednesday he was hearing Lance will get the nod on draft night:
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared on SportsCenter to break everything down. He reported the 49ers are holding their cards close to their chest to the point that some of their own top executives don't know the preferred target. Fowler added that representatives from opposing teams have the impression Jones is the guy:
Intrigue and subterfuge are staples of the predraft buildup. In this case, San Francisco doesn't need to be purposefully deceptive, though.
General manager John Lynch has already made his big move up the draft board, and the first two picks are basically locks at this point.
Everybody expected Trevor Lawrence to be a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars from the moment they earned the No. 1 selection, and a similar consensus grew around the New York Jets and Zach Wilson.
Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan basically know who's going to be available when they're on the clock Thursday, and the situation probably won't change between now and then.
By this point, 49ers fans will be celebrating not only the franchise's first-round pick but also the fact that the entire drama is finally over.