NFL analyst Brian Baldinger: Hard to believe San Francisco moved up to take Mac Jones

Baldinger breaks down Zach Wilson and Mac Jones

By BetQL Staff - Apr 9, 2021, 1:26pm EDT

Zach Wilson vs. the other quarterbacks in the draft

I like him a lot. He does things with his arm, and the way that he throws a football is just different than anyone else in this draft. I think he’s got an elite arm and can throw it from any angle. He’s got a lot of zip on the ball. He’s talented. He just looks like he’s born to play the position.

He had a huge jump from 2019 to 2020, but we saw that from Joe Burrow. I believe that the way he processes information, he goes through his reads, the decision making that he has, I think he’s the perfect prospect.

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On Mac Jones being the favorite to goto the San Francisco 49ers in the betting markets

I was on a plane a couple of weeks ago with some of the representation of Mac Jones and they really thought that as the season was even progressing this year, even when Alabama was running away with everything in College Football, that he was looking to be a second round pick.

I remember when Patrick Mahomes came out in 2017. I saw him at the Super Bowl with Lee Steinberg that year, and I asked Pat what he thought, and he himself thought the second round seemed like a good place to take him. He ended up going No. 10, becoming the MVP.

Some of these guys, they get shot up the board for whatever reason. People start selling you on the tape harder, and rather than just watching the games Saturday night in your hotel room, they’re really breaking it down. And you’re seeing your 77% completion percentage from Mac Jones, you’re seeing elite intelligence towards the game, commitment and all that, and they’re like ‘you know, that 4.94 40 doesn’t bother me so much’. The fact that he’s not a runner doesn’t bother us so much. He’s going to beat you from the pocket.

He’s climbing fast. I still find it hard to believe that San Francisco went from No. 12 to No. 3 to take Mac Jones. I’m just surprised. Maybe it’s going to play out and maybe he is the guy, I just didn’t think you had to go that high to get Mac. But, maybe everybody does their reconnaissance, and everybody tries to figure out what everybody else is doing in this business, and maybe they just heard a lot of scuttle that Mac Jones is just that guy. And, if you want him, you got to get all the way to three to get him.