49ers play sad trombone for NFL Draft parties, still need a quarterback

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers fans were looking forward to the 2016 NFL Draft for team management to identify its quarterback of the future.

Instead, what they got on the opening night of the annual talent dispersal was a reintroduction to their quarterback of the past.

As expected, the 49ers passed on a quarterback with the No. 7 overall pick Thursday night after the two collegiate standouts -- Cal's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz -- were snatched up 1-2 by the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.

49ers general manager Trent Baalke then reunited new coach Chip Kelly with an old pal from his University of Oregon days, defensive end DeForest Buckner.

It's the same school that produced last season's draft flop at the same position, first-rounder Arik Armstead. So the collective yawn at various draft parties in the San Francisco Bay Area was understandable.

Then came the big news on the NFL Network telecast. A quarterback-needy team had traded up to No. 26 in the first round with the intention of snatching the consensus third-best quarterback prospect, Memphis' Payton Lynch.

But just when 49ers fans began dreaming of brighter days ahead, they were hit over the head with an anvil when it was disclosed that not only was it not their team that had moved up, but rather it was the Denver Broncos, upon whom the faithful had hoped Baalke would be able to unload disgruntled Colin Kaepernick.

So while the Broncos were selecting Lynch as their new leading man, the 49ers were put in a position of scripting a positive spin on the probable return of Kaepernick to compete with the guy who replaced him at midseason last year, Blaine Gabbert.

Moments later, Baalke was able to get into the first round for a second pick. But it proved to be too little, too late, as the move from No. 37 in the second round to No. 28 in the first was used to solidify the side of the ball opposite of Buckner with the selection of guard Joshua Garnett from Stanford.

The 49ers walked away from the night with the Pacific-12 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and the national Outland Trophy winner. Not a bad haul.

But the club also was left with no new quarterback and without a second-round pick, all but assuring Kaepernick would be back.

It's hard to label a team that added much-needed probable starters on both lines as one of Day 1's biggest losers. But there's no doubt how 49ers fans would have voted if given the opportunity.