The San Francisco 49ers have been meeting with running backs in advance of the 2017 NFL draft, and it is only fitting they meet with the guy many view as the best in the class. Matt Maiocco is reporting the 49ers will host running back Leonard Fournette for an official visit this week.
The 49ers hold the No. 2 pick in the draft, and there have been multiple reports that they rate Fournette highly. They have Carlos Hyde at running back, but are looking for an option to complement him. Furthermore, Hyde is a free agent after the upcoming season, so adding someone who could eventually replace Hyde makes sense.
Fournette is expected to be the first running back off the board, but questions do persist. He missed LSU’s final five games following an ankle injury. Fournette finished the season with 843 yards (6.5 ypc) ad eight touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 146 yards. In 2015, he rushed for 1,953 yards, with 19 touchdowns.
All NFL teams are allowed up to 30 official pre-draft visits, separate from private workouts. The final day to conduct these visits is this Wednesday, April 19. The 49ers had an official visit with Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, and are expected to bring in Toledo running back Kareem Hunt for a visit this week.