The San Francisco 49ers didn’t want Mitchell Trunisky, Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL draft.
It was all about Iowa’s C.J. Beathard.
Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers even traded up for Beathard at No. 104. After, Shanahan spoke with Peter King of the MMQB:
“He processes the game so well,” Shanahan told King. “Tough as s—. Got a chance. He reminds me a lot of Kirk Cousins.”
There wasn’t a player they had to have, but they’d picked up an extra seventh-round pick in an earlier deal, and someone suggested moving from early in the fourth round to late in the third, five spots up, to snare the only quarterback Shanahan wanted in this draft: Iowa’s C.J. Beathard. “We’d all sleep a little better if we got him instead of waiting ’til tomorrow,” York said.
It’s a staggering development, as Beathard went 21-7 as a starter but didn’t complete 60 percent of his passes. He’s a pro-style quarterback, but most pegged him as a sixth or seventh-round pick. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein put it best: “His 2015 tape was more impressive, but deep-ball accuracy issues, poor pocket awareness, and unnecessary hesitation as a passer shows up in both seasons.”
Disclaimer—Shanahan is something of an offensive genius. If he goes and gets something he likes in this manner it’s worth paying close attention.
Beathard joins a depth chart featuring journeymen like Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley. He’ll compete, but the prospects of the 49ers taking another quarterback high next year will hang over the entire organization’s head.
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