Both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were emphatic in their end-of-season press conference this week about their commitment to Brock Purdy as the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback.

However, until they back up their words with a long-term contract, there will continue to be plenty of noise about the Niners potentially finding an alternative.

And A to Z Sports' latest three-round 2025 mock draft has the 49ers offering a very different signal as to how they feel about Purdy.

Making the picks for San Francisco in a collaborative mock put together by A to Z Sports' NFL Draft writers, Ian Valentino decided to have the Niners take a literal dart throw with their second-round pick.

He went with Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the 43rd overall pick while proposing that the 49ers take the initial steps towards moving on from Purdy.

Valentino wrote: "The 49ers would be wise to franchise tag Brock Purdy and look for a potential upgrade. Missing out on Jalen Milroe takes away Kyle Shanahan's second crack at a Trey Lance-type project, so they can go with the easier projection, which is the efficient Jaxson Dart."

While doubts about whether to pay Purdy top-of-market money are understandable, the 49ers have made it abundantly clear of late that they intend to keep him around long-term despite an underwhelming 2024 season for the team.

As such, spending a top-50 pick on a quarterback, even one coming off a senior year in which he led the FBS in yards per attempt (10.8) and passer rating (180.7). makes little sense for the 49ers given their other needs on the roster.

To Valentino's credit, he does have the 49ers addressing arguably their biggest need with the 11th overall pick, selecting a massive run stopper who also provides pass rush upside in the form of Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

Grant had seven tackles for loss and three sacks in the 2024 season and ranked 12th among draft eligible interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus run defense grade. He was 18th in pass rush grade, with his 27 pressures leaving him tied for 21st.

Valentino rounds off the 49ers' picks by using their third-rounder, 75th overall, on North Dakota State tackle Grey Zabel, touting him as a potential future successor to left tackle Trent Williams.

Zabel has played both tackle spots and at guard. In 2024, he allowed only seven pressures and ranked second among all FBS and FCS tackles in PFF pass block grade (92.9). 

His selection would have echoes of that of Dominick Puni in the third round in 2024 in giving the Niners an extremely versatile lineman who could come in and compete for a starting job right away. Puni played every game as a rookie, quickly emerging as a gem in the trenches.

The additions of both Grant and Zabel would fill clear needs, but they would be overshadowed by the superfluous selection of Dart. The 49ers may need to add a backup quarterback, but it's unlikely they do so in this way.

Fred Warner makes bullish claim about Brock Purdy’s future following 49ers’ letdown season

The feeling inside the building is clear.