Kyle Shanahan Stunned Nobody Called About Mac Jones on Draft Night

The 49ers made moves. They traded out of the first round. Twice. But here's what really caught Kyle Shanahan off guard: in a league where quarterback conversations dominate every draft room, not a single team picked up the phone to ask about Mac Jones.

Shanahan said he was "really surprised" that no team made a trade offer for Jones during the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23. That's a wild admission from a head coach who clearly expected some action around his quarterback situation. Instead, San Francisco executed a pair of first-round deals to move down the board, ultimately landing running back Jadarian Price from Notre Dame at pick 32 in the first round.

The 49ers Got Creative With Their Draft Capital

San Francisco wasn't sitting idle. General Manager John Lynch and Shanahan engineered a two-trade first-round strategy. They dealt with the Jets, who grabbed a pick at 33 in the second round, and moved down further with the Dolphins, who used pick 27 to select cornerback Chris Johnson. Lynch explained the approach simply: "It's the way the board fell."

The reshuffling left San Francisco with multiple second-round selections and additional picks throughout the draft, giving them flexibility heading into Day 2. But the silence around Jones was deafening. In a draft class loaded with surprises, the quarterback conversation the 49ers organization apparently thought might happen never materialized.

What's Next For San Francisco

The 49ers have their eyes on Day 2. The team says they "have a good idea" who they'll be picking as they continue building around their core. With Jadarian Price now in the fold at running back and cornerback help via the Dolphins trade, Shanahan and Lynch still have work to do. But one thing is clear: the draft night surprises kept coming, and the Mac Jones question remains unanswered.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.