This is really simple. The San Francisco 49ers got the fellow they wanted as their quarterback of the future. Now, all he has to do is develop into the quarterback the 49ers thought they were getting.

The success of quarterback Jim Druckenmiller will define in large measure Steve Mariucci's reign as coach of the 49ers. Mariucci is known for offense and for working with quarterbacks. The 49ers got the one they considered best in the draft -- and most people agreed with that assessment.

They do not have to rush him.

They have time to groom him and get him ready.

In fact, the team's entire draft, such as it was -- a total of three picks were exercised -- was made with an eye to the future. Second-round pick Marc Edwards, a fullback, also is insurance in case William Floyd's comeback from 1995 knee surgery plateaus, or the 49ers grow tired of Floyd's trash talk. Third-round pick Greg Clark, a tight end, is penciled-in to succeed Brent Jones as a starter, most likely in 1998.

The 49ers gave up extra picks to move up and draft Edwards and Clark. They also tried to move up in the first round, but for tight end Tony Gonzalez, not Druckenmiller. If they had gotten Gonzalez, they would have taken his Cal quarterback, Pat Barnes, with their next pick. Instead, they didn't get the tight end, but they did get the quarterback. Sometimes things just work out.

Of course, Druckenmiller now has to prove he's worth the pick.

Recent history has not been kind to quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

In this decade, 12 quarterbacks have been selected in the first round; only four are still with the team that picked them, the same number that are already out of football. Also, only three of the coaches whose teams drafted quarterbacks first are still coaching the same team.

"This guy has a better shot,'' said Carmen Policy, the 49ers' president, and the point is not whether he was referring to Druckenmiller or Mariucci, or both.

"If I'm not mistaken, didn't all of the other quarterbacks have to almost go in and start pretty quickly? So I think that, barring an injury (to Druckenmiller or Steve Young), of course, Jim will have two years of solid, conscientious development. And when you're able to have that kind of development without being under that tremendous pressure, I think it's a distinct advantage.''

Policy obviously had done his homework.

All 12 quarterbacks drafted on the first round in the '90s started at least one game as a rookie. Drew Bledsoe, Jeff George, Rick Mirer and Kerry Collins all started at least 12 games as a rookie, Heath Shuler eight, Tommy Maddox and David Klingler four.

But 10 of the 12 were drafted by teams that had not been in the playoffs the previous year and didn't have the luxury of time to develop a quarterback.

The 49ers, of course, have been in the playoffs almost every year. And, with Young eager to play several more seasons, Mariucci is not putting a timetable on Druckenmiller's development, Policy's two-year comment notwithstanding. Mariucci said he'd have a better idea after a couple of minicamps how long it would take to get Druckenmiller ready to become an NFL starter.

Mariucci said Druckenmiller's development would be "a gradual process'' that would be different than grooming Brett Favre in Green Bay.

"When we were with Brett and he ended up starting the first year, it was because of an injury, and he had to do it,'' Mariucci said. "We're not in that situation with Jim. Hopefully, Steve will be here and healthy, and we can groom Jim the way we want to. We don't want to throw him to the wolves right away, but we are going to force the issue because we do want to get him ready as fast as possible.''

Actually, although Favre became a starter in his year with the Packers, it was his second season in the league.

With three youngsters behind Young -- Druckenmiller, holdover Jeff Brohm and Dave Barr, who's playing in the World League -- the 49ers must decide soon whether they still want to pursue a veteran such as Bobby Hebert to back up Young this year. Mariucci said signing a veteran quarterback now was "not a real high priority for us.''

ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

Round 1/26 -- Jim Druckenmiller, QB, Virginia Tech

In college, Druckenmiller was legendary for his weight-room and film-room habits. He holds all the weightlifting records for Virginia Tech quarterbacks, and he had his own key to the film room so he could check out game tapes in the middle of the night when he had trouble sleeping. Apparently, that happened often. Some scouts say he'll have to curtail his lifting because he might become too muscle-bound and not mobile enough. There are other knocks on Druckenmiller, among them that he'll be a 25-year-old rookie who threw mostly out of the shotgun or on seven-step drops in an era when NFL teams are looking for mobile quarterbacks who get rid of the ball faster. But he was a clear choice as the best quarterback in the draft, and the 49ers desperately need to begin grooming a successor to Steve Young. The 49ers would like Druckenmiller to become their starting quarterback by 1999.

Round 2/55 -- Marc Edwards, FB, Notre Dame

Edwards is a fullback in the mold of Tom Rathman, now the 49ers' running backs coach. He can run with power, block and catch. The 49ers traded up to get him, which is taken as a sign they're concerned about William Floyd's comeback and/or his on-field demeanor. Last year, Floyd was benched during a game and sat there sulking as the 49ers scored the winning touchdown without him. He's going into the last year of his contract. He has not returned to his pre-surgery form. Edwards was considered at the top of the list of available fullbacks.

Round 3/77 -- Greg Clark, TE, Stanford

Clark was a 190-pound wide receiver in high school but filled out his frame during his Mormon mission. Bill Walsh recruited him to Stanford, projecting him as a pass-catching tight end like the 49ers' Brent Jones. But Walsh got out of coaching and Clark became mostly a blocker. He runs good routes and can catch the ball in a crowd, and the 49ers expect to put him back to work as a receiving tight end who can also block. Their coaches rated him highly, as perhaps the second-best tight end in the draft after Tony Gonzalez. Project him as a starter by 1998.