The 49ers were willing to select Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster with the third overall pick if edge rushers Myles Garrett and Solomon Thomas were already off the board, and likely would have done so had the Bears not traded a bevy of draft choices to move up to No. 2, as Peter King of TheMMQB.com reports in a typically excellent piece from inside the San Francisco draft room.
Much of the 49ers front office — with the exception of chief strategy office Paraag Marathe — believed Chicago wanted to trade up for Thomas, and were surprised when the Bears ultimately selected North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. San Francisco was comfortable with Foster at No. 3 despite an injured shoulder and off-field issues that included a diluted sample at the scouting combine, but still hoped to move back as far as No. 8 before drafting him. Instead, the Niners took 150 cents on the dollar (according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective) in order to move down one spot.
After selecting Thomas third overall, the 49ers figured Foster would be gone by the middle of the first round, as general manager John Lynch pegged Cincinnati as a likely destination while head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t think Foster would get past Baltimore at No. 16. But as Foster continued to tumble throughout the first round, San Francisco began to discuss a trade with the division rival Seahawks. Ultimately, the 49ers dealt No. 34 and No. 111 for Seattle’s No. 31, and used that newly-acquired pick to add Foster, the third overall player on their board.
While getting Foster at the end of the first round can certainly be considered a coup, the Alabama ‘backer’s injury issues might not be in the rearview mirror. A source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Foster’s shoulder surgery “didn’t take,” while some clubs are reportedly worried Foster’s rookie campaign could be a lost cause due to health questions. While the 49ers found Foster’s medicals to be adequate, one source tells Schefter that Foster’s shoulder “could give out on any hit.” Indeed, some NFL teams “medically rejected” Foster due to concerns about his shoulder, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
Additionally, it’s not a great look for Lynch and the 49ers staff that they were willing to use the third overall pick on a player who ultimately fell to the end of Round 1. Clearly, picking Foster at No. 3 would have been a reach based on the end results of the draft, and it’s fair to question whether San Francisco’s personnel department had thoroughly evaluated Foster (and his potential for being drafted in the top half of the first round).
