Dallas Cowboys

Report: Trent Baalke vetoed Chip Kelly's plan for 49ers to draft Dak Prescott

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:36 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

Former 49ers head coach Chip Kelly wanted to draft quarterback Dak Prescott in the 2016 NFL draft, but then-general manager Trent Baalke rejected the plan, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Instead, the 49ers took defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, guard Joshua Garnett, cornerback Will Redmond and cornerback Rashard Robinson with their first four picks and Prescott fell to the Cowboys in the fourth round.

Buckner played in 15 games this season and had 73 total tackles with six sacks. Buckner and Redmond also played most of the season, but Garnett sat out with a torn ACL. The 49ers finished with the worst record in the NFC at 2–14 and Kelly and Baalke have both been fired.

In contrast, Prescott has led the Cowboys to the playoffs with an NFC-best 13–3 record in the absence of the injured Tony Romo. He threw for 3,667 yards and 23 touchdowns over his 16 starts with a 67.8% completion rate.

The Cowboys have a first-round bye and will play their first playoff game on Jan. 15.