Good Morning Faithful,
Here are the top 49ers headlines for Monday, April 5.
New and Notable
2021 NFL Draft: Biggest pro and con for each of PFF's top QB prospects
After a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers now sit at No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. While draft analysts speculate over which quarterback John Lynch and Co. are looking at, Pro Football Focus broke down the pros and cons of each player from their college careers and pro day stats. Here's what the analytics site had to say about Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones.
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Biggest Pro: Accuracy
"There has long been a puzzling divide about Fields' accuracy. While we believe it's his greatest strength, some say it's a flaw. The tape and data, however, back up that he is one of the most accurate quarterback prospects the country has seen over the past few years."
Biggest Con: Processing Speed
"This con is not a permanent one, nor should it be a reason to not draft Fields No. 3 overall. He struggled against defenses that threw blitzes and coverage rotations — specifically, Indiana in 2020 and Clemson in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal. Those were the only two instances where Fields saw a blitz combined with a post-snap rotation on more than 10 dropbacks in a game in his college career, and he posted a 48.5 passing grade on such plays in those outings."
Trey Lance, North Dakota State
Biggest Pro: Physical Tools
"Lance boasts a cannon for an arm in addition to an ability to carve defenses up on the ground — the modern-day NFL's dream traits at the quarterback position. He can sling it to all levels of the field with ease and is a monster in the designed run game. We saw it in his showcase game this past fall as well as throughout his 2019 campaign."
Biggest Con: Accuracy
"Over the past two seasons, he ranks dead last in percentage of accurate throws beyond the line of scrimmage (44.1%) among the quarterbacks on this list. Not only is that the lowest mark, but it's the worst by a country mile — 7.5 percentage points. Comparing that to all first-round quarterbacks since 2017, it'd still rank last by a comfortable margin. And Lance did this by throwing to a tight or closing window at the lowest rate among that group."
Mac Jones, Alabama
Biggest Pro: Accuracy
"Jones was deadly accurate week in and week out this past season. Just 14% of his passes beyond the line of scrimmage were deemed accurate by PFF's ball-charting process. Not only did that top all quarterbacks in 2020, but it was better than any quarterback since PFF began charting that data in 2018 — including Joe Burrow. Pinpoint accuracy was a key reason that Jones finished 2020 with the lowest single-season negatively graded throw rate in PFF's seven years of grading college football."
Biggest Con: Easy Situation
"The biggest criticisms of Jones center on his middling physical tools and the near-perfect situation around him at Alabama, with now-Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian calling plays and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith featuring as the team's top target. That said, Jones' timing was pristine, and he was vital in the execution of a historically great offense that put up the highest successful pass play rate in the PFF College era (61%)."
Inside the Oval: Ryan Dillard, 49ers PREP Coordinator
In the 13th episode of "Inside the Oval" presented by Dignity Health, Ryan Dillard discussed his role as the 49ers PREP coordinator, the skills he learned being a student-athlete at USC and his favorite things about working for the organization.
Listen Now: 49ers.com/audio | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
49ers, SportTechie Partner to Host Fifth-Annual Horizon Summit Online
The San Francisco 49ers and SportTechie have partnered once again to host the fifth-annual Horizon Summit, the first-of-its-kind sports business, data and analytics conference on July 28-29, 2021. Just as it was last year, the conference will be held online with complimentary registration for all to attend.
This year's event is headlined by keynote speakers Jon Gordon, a best-selling author, and Jason Wright, President of the Washington Football Team. Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks and attendees can register HorizonSummit.com for regularly updates via email.
Player and Coach of the Week Nominations
Do you have a player or coach that has made a positive impact on their team, school or community? Nominate them using the below link for a chance to be recognized by the San Francisco 49ers for their outstanding work on the field and in the community.
