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Imagining if the 49ers had drafted Mac Jones instead of Trey Lance

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Grant Cohn | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 3:04 PM ET

Let's imagine an alternate reality in which Kyle Shanahan had stuck to his gut and drafted Mac Jones instead of Trey Lance four years ago.

In this alternate reality, the 49ers did not trade three first-round picks plus a third to the Miami Dolphins for the No. 3 pick. That move never made sense. Instead, the 49ers stood pat and took Jones with the 12th pick.

Given the fact that Jones took the New England Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie, it's reasonable to assume he could have taken the 49ers to the NFC Championship game in our alternate reality, considering Jimmy Garoppolo took them that far in 2021, and Jones always has been better than him.

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Who knows, if the 49ers had drafted Jones, he might have gone to the Super Bowl as a rookie, just as Brock Purdy did. It's reasonable to assume that Jones would have kept the starting job after Garoppolo got injured in Week 4 against the Seahawks.

In 2022, the 49ers would have had a late first-round pick which they could have used to take George Karlaftis, or Breece Hall, or Jalen Pitre, or Kenneth Walker, or George Pickens, or Trey McBride.

That season, Brock Purdy would have gotten drafted to be Mac Jones' backup. And midway through the year, the 49ers still would trade for Christian McCaffrey. So they would go back to the NFC Championship Game no matter who the quarterback was. And with Jones on the field, there's a chance he wouldn't blow out his throwing elbow on the first series of the game. If the 49ers simply had a healthy quarterback that day, they probably would have beaten the Eagles. And Jones is decidedly durable.

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In 2023, the 49ers would have had another late first-round pick, which they could have used on Sam LaPorta, or Brian Branch, or Rashee Rice. Which means they would have had an even better roster than the one that went to the Super Bowl and lost to the Chiefs that year. If they had Rice and Pitre in addition to Jones and Purdy, they probably would have won the Super Bowl. And Jones, not Purdy, would be the one getting paid more than $50 million per season right now.

In hindsight, not drafting Jones may have cost the 49ers a Super Bowl, if not more than one. And now, they may have missed their Super Bowl window, as their veteran stars are getting old.

At least the 49ers have Jones now.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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