49ers' Mac Jones given surprise praise compared to ex-San Francisco starting QB

Billy Heyen

49ers' Mac Jones given surprise praise compared to ex-San Francisco starting QB image

The San Francisco 49ers appear to have improved their quarterback room this season.

Mac Jones has gotten strong reviews to start training camp as Brock Purdy's new backup.

The one-time New England Patriots' first-round pick clearly has talent. Kyle Shanahan nearly drafted him instead of Trey Lance. 

Now, Shanahan gets to have Jones in the No. 2 spot on his QB depth chart.

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One 49ers writer, SI's Grant Cohn, thinks Jones may even be better than former San Francisco starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

"In terms of physical attributes, Jones has Garoppolo beat -- that's why Jones was a first-round pick and Garoppolo was a second-rounder," Cohn wrote. "We'll see if those attributes lead to success for Jones on his new team."

As all teams do, the 49ers will hope their backup quarterback spends the whole season on the sideline.

But if Jones gets in for San Francisco, he may be equipped to do just fine.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle