49ers rookie WR Dres Anderson feels back to 100 percent after October MCL tear

The undrafted free agent market is flooded with players that went undrafted for a huge variety of reasons. They range from injuries to character and off-field problems, but of course they also can be a matter of a player just not being good enough. In reality, not good enough applies to all of them because they were not good enough to be worth the risk of drafting given their other issue(s).

The San Francisco 49ers signed a handful of UDFAs, and at least one of them falls into that first injury category. Utah wide receiver Dres Anderson suffered an MCL tear last October, and it likely cost him a shot to be drafted. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein projected him as a fifth or sixth round pick even with knowledge of the injury. Anderson improved his numbers each year of college prior to the injury. In his junior season, Anderson caught 53 passes for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns. Prior to his October 2014 injury, Anderson had 22 receptions for 355 yards and four touchdowns in seven games.

But now it appears he is back to 100 percent. According to 49ers.com, Anderson has participated in the 49ers rookie minicamp and recent OTAs without the use of a brace. He says he is continuing his strength work for the knee, but it sounds like it is sufficiently healed so that he does not need an overly formal training program for it. I imagine his strength work factors in the knee, but all indications are that he is in good shape.

Anderson has quickly emerged as a favorite among some of the media given his deep ability. He is not incredibly fast, but it appears once he gets out in space he can do some serious damage. The 49ers will look at Torrey Smith and Vernon Davis as two potential deep threats, but maybe a UDFA like Anderson can get in the mix.

The highlight of that 49ers.com article had to be the mention of his dad, former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Flipper Anderson.

"He had a little hesitant feeling when I first signed. He was like, ‘Oh, OK,'" Anderson said. "But he's learned to love it. I'm getting an opportunity so he has no choice right now but to love the Niners."