Jones and the 49ers were heavily tied together in the lead up to the 2021 NFL draft. After the 49ers used a trio of first-round picks to move up to No. 3 overall, Jones was the player head coach Kyle Shanahan was infatuated by according to multiple reports at the time.

Four years after closely studying Mac Jones, the San Francisco 49ers have signed one of the quarterbacks they eschewed for Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL draft. The 49ers signed Jones, 26, to a two-year,

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars chose Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 and the New York Jets picked BYU quarterback Zach Wilson at No. 2. It wasn’t hard to find mock drafts that had the Alabama All-American QB going to the 49ers at No. 3.