SANTA CLARA – The 49ers will get an up-close look Sunday at the quarterback they could have taken as late as their fourth-round pick.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, chosen with the No. 135 overall pick, has started the Dallas Cowboys' first three games in place of injured Tony Romo. The Cowboys are 2-1, entering their game Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
Prescott, who played collegiately at Mississippi State, is completing 66.7 percent of his passes with 767 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. His passer rating is 93.3.
The 49ers had the No. 133 overall pick, and selected cornerback Rashard Robinson, a prospect who had not played since the 2014 season at LSU. Robinson and Keith Reaser are competing this week to start in place of Jimmie Ward, who is expected to miss multiple games with a right quadriceps strain.
During the draft, the 49ers had quarterback Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick and Dylan Thompson on their roster. They later added a quarterback in the sixth round with the selection of Jeff Driskel. The 49ers waived Driskel before the start of the regular season, and the Cincinnati Bengals claimed him.
Kelly said the 49ers evaluated Prescott like all other quarterbacks. Kelly said he did not personally meet with Prescott before the draft.
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"We were really impressed with him and felt he was somebody that could really play in this league," Kelly said on Wednesday. "He was kind of slotted around where he was taken. We thought that's where he was going to go. I've been very impressed with him. Not only his athletic ability, his poise and his sense of calm that he has about him, in terms of playing the game. It doesn't seem like it's happening too fast for him. He's done a great job."
Teams around the league may have had questions about Prescott's arm strength, accuracy and ability to make plays inside the pocket. Through three games, he has seemingly answered those pre-draft concerns.
