A few thoughts on the San Francisco 49ers using the first of three sixth-round picks on Louisiana Tech's Jeff Driskel with the 32nd pick of the sixth round, No. 207 overall.
My take: No, this may not have been a shot across the bow of the S.S. Blaine Gabbert or even the S.S. Colin Kaepernick. Rather, Jeff Driskel should be a warning to the likes of Dylan Thompson and Thad Lewis. In Driskel, the Niners acquired the fastest QB at the combine, where he ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash (Kaepernick ran a 4.53 in 2011). He is also the first QB drafted by the Niners since 2013 (B.J. Daniels in the seventh round) and the first QB drafted by Chip Kelly since Matt Barkley in 2013. And even though he was just the 14th QB drafted this year, the Florida transfer says he compares himself to both Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.
“I think that, you know, I’m a rare talent,” Driskel, who threw for 4,033 yards, 27 TDs and 8 INTs at La. Tech last season while completing 62.4 percent of his passes, said on a conference call. “I think my ability doesn’t come around every day … obviously I wasn’t picked as high as I would have liked to go, but all you can ask for is a chance, and that’s what I have now. I’m going to compete my tail off and learn and give it everything I have. I know I have the ability to do it, and I know the coaches are in place to help me maximize my potential.”
