The San Francisco 49ers have questionable quarterback depth behind Brock Purdy, and San Francisco Chronicle writer Eric Branch suggested an aptly-named option late in the draft.
Branch floated the idea of the 49ers taking Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi with a late-round pick. Besides bearing two big names from Hollywood and the NFL, Lombardi can play as he has 7,418 yards passing and 42 touchdowns in his college career.
“Armed with 10 picks, what’s the harm in tossing a late-round dart and praying for another Purdy? If nothing else, his first name suggests he could have a triumphant underdog story,” Branch wrote.
Taking a chance on someone like Lombardi is a dart worth throwing as the 49ers only have Josh Dobbs and Brandon Allen behind Purdy. For passer ratings, Branch wrote that Dobbs (77.3) ranks 70th and Allen (78.0) ranks 69th among “the 78 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 250 passes since 2018.”
“Yes, they are career-long backup QBs for a reason, but the numbers don’t inspire confidence that they could keep the 49ers afloat if they are needed in 2024,” Branch wrote. “After Dobbs’ hot start in 2023, he threw one touchdown pass and four interceptions in seven-plus quarters, posting a 45.1 rating, and was benched in the fourth quarter of a 3-0 loss to the Raiders.”