With Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley sitting as the only two quarterbacks on the San Francisco 49ers' roster heading into tonight's draft -- 8 p.m. ET in Philadelphia -- general manager John Lynch is likely to add another signal-caller this weekend.
The question becomes in which round do the 49ers pluck said quarterback? Could NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport's report on the Niners'Â strong interest in taking a quarterback at No. 2 be more than a blatant smokescreen? Might Lynch trade back into the end of the first round to swipe a passer? Can he snag a promising developmental project on Day 2 or 3?
Regardless of what the 49ers do, Hoyer is operating as if he will be the starter in 2017.
"Yeah for sure. I think that's what I was brought in to do at this point," Hoyer said on KNBR-AM radio on Wednesday, via Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "And the thing that I've learned in this profession, and really in life, is not worry about things you can't control. I can't control who they draft with the second pick tomorrow and I'm not gonna live my life worrying about it."
Even if the Niners select a quarterback early in the draft, most evaluators believe this year's crop needs seasoning, which means San Francisco fans could see Hoyer or Barkley open the season under center.
"I'm gonna go out there and do what I think my job is at this point," Hoyer said. "And I'm gonna do that as long as I can until they tell me it's not my job anymore."
How long that stint lasts could depend on what the Niners do tonight.
Watch the NFL Draft LIVE tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
