Getty The 49ers have shown an interest in BYU quarterback Zach Wilson.
The San Francisco 49ers are likely going to explore all of their options at quarterback before making a decision on Jimmy Garoppolo’s future. One player the Niners are already showing an interest in is dynamic BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. Niners Nation’s Akrash Anavarathan reported the 49ers lead scout Adam Peters attended the BYU-Boise State game to get an in-person look at Wilson.
“The Zach Wilson-to-SF noise increases, as #49ers’ lead talent evaluator — Adam Peters — was in Boise to watch Wilson play the best team on BYU’s schedule this season,” Anavarathan noted on Twitter.
Wilson’s stock is rising as the quarterback has led BYU to an undefeated start to the season. The BYU quarterback is one of the most dynamic prospects potentially in the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson has thrown for 2,512 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing a little more than 75 percent of his passes through eight games this season. He also has 158 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns proving how much of a threat to opposing defenses he is with his legs.
The 49ers Have Reportedly Already Scouted Zach Wilson & Mac Jones This Season
There are obvious advantages to using the draft to address the quarterback position, not the least of which is financial. San Francisco finds itself in a particularly precarious cap situation heading into next season. The 49ers moving on from Garoppolo to a rookie quarterback would save the franchise a significant amount of money, allowing the team to have a bit more cap flexibility for other positions. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller reported the Niners have already scouted Wilson along with Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.
“Speaking of quarterbacks, rumors around the scouting community indicate the San Francisco 49ers are investing serious time and resources into scouting signal-callers,” Miller noted. “One area scout told me the team has sent top evaluator Adam Peters to see BYU’s Zach Wilson and Alabama’s Mac Jones this season.”
If the 49ers want Wilson, where will they have to select the BYU quarterback? It is worth noting that Wilson is a junior, so he will have the opportunity to return to BYU for his senior season. This is hard to imagine given his meteoric rise up draft boards this season.
Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance are widely considered the top three quarterback prospects for 2021 and will likely be out of the Niners’ grasp for where they are projected to pick. Wilson has emerged as the top quarterback after these three prospects. Miller has Wilson as the No. 12 player on his latest big board, and if NFL teams agree, it means the 49ers would have to use their first-round pick on the BYU quarterback.
Steve Young Believes Wilson Would Be a Good Fit in the 49ers Offense
Few people are as familiar with BYU football as Niners legend Steve Young, and the former San Francisco quarterback sees Wilson as a great fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. During an interview on KNBR’s Tolbert, Kruger & Brooks, Young discussed Wilson’s potential fit with the 49ers along with his overall NFL outlook. Young sees Wilson as a likely first-round prospect who could end up outperforming some of the players selected above him.
“There’s no question that he’s capable [of running Shanahan’s offense],” Young noted, per 49ersWebZone.com. “The more they ask of him, the better he gets. …I think he’s going to go in the first round. I don’t know; he’s the kind of kid, when you watch him, you go, ‘Wait a second. Why is he not maybe the first guy (drafted)?’ I get that Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are phenomenal football players but the more I watch this kid, I don’t see flaws. I don’t see problems.”
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