49ers: QB a priority in 2021 NFL Draft as Jimmy Garoppolo struggles

49ers must be looking at QBs in the 2021 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterback must be a priority for the 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft

When ranking the draft needs of the San Francisco 49ers after a quarter of the season, the quarterback position could be viewed as a secondary need behind areas of concern in the trenches on both sides of the ball and in the secondary.

However, after a disastrous Week 5 showing from Jimmy Garoppolo on his return from injury in a blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins, there can now be no doubt that investing in a quarterback should be a priority for the 49ers.

Garoppolo, clearly not fully recovered from a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 2, endured a nightmare outing that saw him complete just seven of his 17 passes for 77 yards with two ugly interceptions.

He never settled behind a porous offensive line that has taken a dramatic step back in 2020 and, while it may have been unfair to expect Garoppolo to hit the ground running in such circumstances, his struggles will raise further questions over the 49ers’ long-term plan at the game’s most important position.

No long-term answer at QB on roster for 49ers

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Simply put, the Niners do not have a long-term answer behind Garoppolo. Nick Mullens is now back to being a third-stringer after his Sunday Night Football debacle against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4, while C.J. Beathard – who replaced Garoppolo for the second half on Sunday after the starter was benched by Kyle Shanahan – has never shown any sign of having the ability to develop into a successful starter.

At 2-3 and with injuries contributing to the decimation of any hopes the Niners had of returning to the Super Bowl, a season that was seen by many as a referendum on Garoppolo has descended into chaos.

Regardless of whether he eventually puts the ankle issue behind him and performs well the rest of the way, the first five weeks of the season have shown that the 49ers need to start thinking about the possibility of a future without Garoppolo.

How will San Francisco proceed with their QBs?

The Niners could have a complete refresh at quarterback in the offseason. Mullens is a restricted free agent and Beathard is an unrestricted free agent. San Francisco, according to Spotrac, would save over $24 million in cap space by moving on from Garoppolo, whose cap hit next year is $26.9m with a dead cap charge of $2.8m.

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That appears unlikely at this stage, however, the Niners’ long-term future under center seems murky at best.

San Francisco clearly has other areas to address in what will be a critical offseason but, following a start to the season well below the standard the Niners expect, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch must look towards a talented 2021 crop of quarterbacks to provide a viable long-term alternative at a position where they have more questions than answers.