49ers
- NFL Media’s Michael Giardi says the 49ers’ asking price for QB Jimmy Garoppolo still appears to still be a first-round pick. However, there is a belief San Francisco might come down from that after the draft after getting a look at whichever rookie they draft at No. 3 in their building.
- There’s obviously a significant number of people who believe the 49ers will select Alabama QB Mac Jones with the No. 3 overall pick. However, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora has talked to a handful of other NFL executives who don’t buy Jones is the player San Francisco moved up for: “I don’t know one way or the other, but I have a hard time seeing Mac Jones as the third player in this draft.”
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco he thinks the 49ers have an open mind with the No. 3 pick: “I think they go into this looking at three quarterbacks who will be there. They’re obviously going to watch Justin Fields go work out again. I think they have a high opinion of Trey Lance, and I think they have a high opinion of Mac Jones. So I think they like all three.”
- Added Schefter: “Now if you’re asking me today who I would guess, I would guess Mac Jones today. But we’re also three weeks away from the draft. There are going to be a lot of meetings. There are going to be a lot of discussions. They are going to be attending workouts. So what happens between now and then? I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll find out what enters their thought process, what gets brought up in the discussion, and what factors push them ultimately to the quarterback they decide to take.”
- According to Albert Breer, 49ers GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan will attend both Fields’ and Lance’s second Pro Days this week.
- Auburn S Jamien Sherwood has met virtually with the 49ers. (Justin Melo)
Rams
Over the past year or so, the pandemic has obviously curtailed much of the in-person work that would dominate NFL front office’s time during the pre-draft process. But when things get back to normal, don’t expect huge delegations from the Rams to events like the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine or pro days. Los Angeles is in the midst of revamping its processes for scouting players, relying on things like college GPS data over 40 times and even video conferencing interviews over the mass production line that usually is the Combine.
“If you’re looking to really dive into the kid, the person, the background, the football knowledge — in a lot of ways, it’s actually better,” Rams director of draft management J.W. Jordan said via the Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. “The more intimate setting (makes players more comfortable). It’s not one kid walking into a job interview with 10 people staring at him. It seems like the one-on-one intimate setting, kids are more comfortable. When they’re more comfortable, they tend to be more honest.”
Snead said the pandemic, when everything went virtual, helped fast-track the changes, as they didn’t feel they lost much from their scouting processes by not being able to travel as much. They’ve used that to evaluate everything about how they prepare for the draft and the result is a process that doesn’t look like the other 31 teams, which hopefully is a good thing.
“What are you doing, and why are you doing it?” Snead explained. “The easiest thing to do is to say, ‘hey, this is what we’re doing.’ But I think what I’ve challenged our group to do is to know why we’re doing it — and does that ‘why’ give us an advantage? And if it doesn’t, we should eliminate it.”
- According to Justin Melo, UCF WR/TE Jacob Harris has met with the Rams.
Seahawks
- Auburn S Jamien Sherwood has met virtually with the Seahawks. (Justin Melo)
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I think if 49ers draft Mac Jones Kyle and Lynch are fixing to be unemployed. Fields is the answer.