San Francisco 49ers Could End Up With QB Jared Goff In 2016 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of needs heading into the 2016 NFL Draft, with one of those needs being at quarterback. Jared Goff is widely viewed as the best quarterback in the draft class and could be an option for the 49ers. San Francisco currently holds the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, although they could move up in the draft, or Goff could fall to them.
Goff would be a perfect fit for the 49ers and would be exactly what Chip Kelly needs to run his offense. Colin Kaepernick would be a solid fit for San Francisco, but Goff would be a much better long-term franchise player for them.
Concerns have been brought up about Goff throughout the entire draft process. He has been criticized at times for his small hands, which could have an impact on his ability to play in cold and rainy weather. That has to be a concern for teams, although it shouldn’t make teams pass on him by any stretch of the imagination.
Last season with the California Golden Bears, Goff ended up having a massive season. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 4,719 yards, 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Those numbers showed some of the potential that he possesses for teams at the next level.
There is no question that Goff is the most NFL ready quarterback in the draft this offseason. Carson Wentz has not been proven against serious competition and Paxton Lynch is nowhere near ready after watching his performance in the Memphis Tigers’ bowl game. Goff would provide the 49ers with an immediate starter if they do choose to move Kaepernick.
Whoever ends up being the starting quarterback in San Francisco will also need more weapons to work with. The 49ers need to bring in another piece or two during the draft. Having those young receivers break into the league with Goff would be a very big step in the right direction towards rebuilding the 49ers into a serious NFC contender once again.
Looking ahead at the 2016 draft, there are a few different teams that the 49ers have to worry about taking Goff. Cleveland is one of those teams and are in bigger need of a quarterback, but other teams like Philadelphia and Dallas could consider a quarterback, too.
Even though there is still a chance that Kaepernick can work things out with San Francisco, they still have to realize that there is a real cap on what he can bring them. Goff is an unknown talent at this point in time, but his potential is far greater than anything the 49ers could get with Kaepernick leading the way.
Rumors will continue flying around as the NFL Draft continues to approach in the coming weeks. Goff will continue to see his draft stock fluctuate up and down. No mock draft will correctly project each pick, but Kiper’s mock sounds very good from San Francisco’s standpoint.
Goff is very likely to be one of the top picks in the draft and should be the top quarterback taken. San Francisco is going to be in a position where they could go with a quarterback, but Goff is the only one that they should consider taking that high.
Expect to see the 49ers strongly consider Goff at No. 7 if he is still available. The two sides are a perfect match for each other and it would be a huge step in the right direction for San Francisco.
Do you think that Jared Goff would be the right pick for the San Francisco 49ers at No. 7 if he is still available?
[Photo by AP Photo/Ben Margot]
