Among the reasons the 49ers traded up to the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft was because the team feared the Patriots would move up to No. 3 and select former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
In the lead-up to the draft, San Francisco gave up two future first-round picks and a future third-round pick to move from No. 12 to No. 3. They eventually selected former North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick,
As The MMQB's Albert Breer reported in April, on draft night the Patriots took a more conservative approach during the first-round, and did not appear to be interested in trading up to select Jones.