The San Francisco 49ers still have to get quarterback Brock Purdy’s extension done, but that’s not the only box they need to check at the most important position on their roster.
We’ve covered how San Francisco still needs to find a long-term backup option for their franchise QB. Their best option may be an under-the-radar prospect who didn’t play his college football in the US.
Taylor Elgersma, a senior from Wilfrid Laurier in Ontario, checks all the physical boxes teams look for with quarterback prospects. He’s listed at 6-4, 227 pounds and has the arm talent that matches his frame.
On tape the skill set is clear. Elgersma can play.
He has a big arm and he’s accurate at all three levels of the field. He’s deliberate with his dropbacks and his athleticism isn’t going to strike fear into any defensive coordinators. He also didn’t take any snaps from under center. That’s going to require some work if he’s going to carve out a role in the NFL. However, he can move in the pocket, doesn’t lose velocity when throwing from different angles, throws well on the run and does a nice job using his shoulders and eyes to manipulate defenders. Elgersma also played hockey growing up and the toughness from that shows through in his willingness to stand in the pocket and deliver throws as he’s being hit.
In his last two years at Wilfrid Laurier, Elgersma started all 24 games and completed 74.2 percent of his throws for 7,734 yards (10.1 yards per attempt), with 60 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
All of that makes for an interesting late Day 3 prospect for a team that doesn’t need a starter right away. In fact, the 49ers don’t even need a backup. Mac Jones signed a one-year deal this offseason, but at some point San Francisco needs to find a backup signal caller on a cheap, multiyear contract.
Elgersma is intriguing specifically for the 49ers because he clearly needs work to become a viable NFL backup. There’s talent there, though. San Francisco’s QB situation gives him the runway to develop on the practice squad as a rookie before sliding up to the QB2 job next offseason, helping the 49ers avoid needing to find an uninspiring veteran backup QB for a third consecutive year. Elgersma’s mental makeup and desire to play the sport could push him over the top and help him reach the potential his production, measurables and tape say he has.
Initially there weren’t many invites for Elgersma on the college all-star game circuit. He got a spot at the College Gridiron Showcase and played well enough to get a Tropical Bowl invite. His Tropical Bowl performance earned him a ticket to the Senior Bowl where he was coached by Jordan Traylor.
Traylor is the assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He served as Elgersma’s QB coach at the Senior Bowl. He doesn’t foresee any additional obstacles Elgersma may face after playing his college football in Canada.
“I think because he loves this so much none of this is gonna matter a year or two from now,” Traylor said in a phone conversation.
That love of football shined through in the way he studied the Senior Bowl playbook, diligently went through play calls in practice and sent late-night text messages to his coach about the offense. That desire to learn isn’t something every player has, and it may be his ticket to maximizing his talent at the next level.
“His obsession with the game is the one trait that I’ve learned from the evaluation process with these QBs,” Traylor said, “those guys that can’t put game down overcome shortcomings. He doesn’t really have any physical or mental limitations though.”
There are a handful of interesting quarterbacks projected to be available in the later rounds of this year’s draft. Elgersma may not have the same type of experience as those QBs, but he’s a player the 49ers should bet on in their quest to find a longer-term option behind their franchise signal caller.
