49ers Draft Capsule: Quarterbacks

The 49ers choice is a pick for high quality in the 5th round, or a practice squad quarterback later.

This is the third installment of draft capsules, today looking at the quarterbacks.

The Niners will need a camp body while Brock Purdy is out. Beyond that, if the NFL Competition Committee decides next month to allow a 3rd active quarterback, and mandates that player must come from the practice squad, then it makes sense to take a QB. However, it would need to be someone who wouldn’t be claimed off waivers. So the 49ers choice is a pick for high quality in the 5th round, or a practice squad quarterback later.

Tier 1: Day 1 Potential Starters:
Top 5 Bryce Young (Alabama) 5-10/204
Top 5 C.J. Stroud (Ohio St) 6-3/214
Top 5 Anthony Richardson (Florida) 6-4/244
Top 20 Will Levis (Kentucky) 6-4/229
Late 1st-Early 2nd Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) 6-3/217

The top of the draft probably sees some movement as clubs maneuver to take who they hope will be their franchise quarterback. Tennessee is the latest to be rumored to move up for Richardson.

Tier 2: On The 49ers Radar
After talking with UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, it seems that every quarterback after Hooker is a potential Niner. So, I’m making a list of who’s naughty and nice.

The No List

Max Duggan (TCU) 6-1/220 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. When he’s on, he’s an athletic (tested well) elusive playmaker zipping throws in tight windows. When he’s off, he’s Jimmy Garoppolo sailing throws way off target deep sideline (vs. Michigan), on and off deep to the end zone (Senior Bowl), and with questionable judgment and footwork on picks.

Tanner McKee (Stanford) 6-6/231 - Big arm, big size, and a statue. He needs a stout offensive line in front of him.

Stetson Bennett (Georgia) 5-11/192 The punchline of age jokes that Bennett played for Georgia...in the Civil War. He’s 25, along with Hooker, O’Connell, Jaren Hall, and Logan Bonner. Bennett has proven success with a title and 37-7-4,132 stats, but he’s also 5-11 with sub-29-inch arms. Smart reads, quick release, but a weak arm and his mechanics can crumble under pressure.

Jaren Hall (BYU) 6-0/211 – He makes all the throws, stays calm under pressure, and has good athleticism, but he’s short with short arms. Needs to play with less hesitancy. A career backup.

Aidan O’Connell (Purdue) 6-3/213 Accurate short but lacks the arm for intermediate to deep. Judgment is his fatal flaw, 25 turnover-worthy plays this year. By comparison, Jake Haener had 9, Hooker had 5.

The Yes List

Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA) 6-2/203 A four-year starter and great athlete with improving mechanics, ESPN notes that DTR is starting to gather interest and may go in the 4th round.  He's a capable runner but has a history of fumbling problems.

Clayton Tune (Houston) 6-2/220 – Production: 45 TD, 10 INT, 4,065 yards. Speed: 4.68/1.55. Out of Shanahan central casting. Average arm, fast processor, lives in the short/intermediate range. He isn’t money throwing deep and leans on his receivers (Tank Dell) to make the big plays. 5th.

Jake Haener (Fresno State) 6-0/207 The Pentium chip Shanahan wants. Fast processor, anticipatory throws, on-a-dime accuracy. Average arm. Forced some bad throws in the red zone and can bail early to avoid pressure. Six feet and short arms under 30, 4.8 speed. A poor man’s Brock Purdy. 5th

Malik Cunningham (Louisville) 6-0/192 Limited size with good speed at 4.54/1.51. Patient in the pocket with an above-average arm. A running threat with more than 1,100 yards rushing in 2021, but as a senior he used it as a final option, preferring to buy time to make a play. 7th – UDFA.

Logan Bonner (Utah State) 6-3/223 The program that produced Jordan Love. Bonner only played four games this year and went down with a foot injury. In 2021, 36-12-3,628, completing 61% of his passes with a rating over 154. He has 4.70 speed. The Niners were at his Pro Day along with four other teams. 7th-UDFA.

Prediction

The Yes/No List is ten deep and splits in half. There are other options at small schools that have big stats but a set of weaknesses that would be exposed in the NFL. The yes group of five ranks ahead of them.