Each year, we run a series of post called "90-in-90" here at Niners Nation. The idea is that we'll take a look at every single player on the roster, from the very bottom to the top and break them down a few different ways. This is to help give everyone a basic understanding of a roster. Of course, this roster will change, and some days we'll have more than one so it's not strictly one per day but you get the idea.
Reuben Foster was the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. San Francisco 49ers’ general manager John Lynch worked his well-documented magic and the rest is history; well, the rest has the potential to be history.
Foster, who could have been a top 10 pick, fell to 31 after concerns about his shoulder and some off-the-field issues. However, Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, Adam Peters and the rest of the 49ers have complete confidence is his maturity and his future. Oh, and about that shoulder, Shanahan said last week the Foster should be “more than ready for training camp.”
Assuming everything goes according to plan, Foster is the type of player that can change a team and ignite a defense. Foster won the Butkus Award when he was at Alabama – an award given to the top linebacker in college football. He finished the 2016 season with the Crimson Tide with 115 tackles, 13 of them for losses and five sacks.
Basic info
Age: 23
Experience: Rookie
Height: 6’0
Weight: 229 lbs
Cap status
Signed four-year rookie deal, worth $9,035,568. The deal includes unprecedented fourth-year guaranteed money. The 49ers use of a first round pick on Foster means they have a fifth year option for 2021.
What to Expect in 2017
Foster is incredibly athletic, fast and nimble. He hits hard and can strike fear in the hearts of offensive skill players. Dramatic? Maybe. Accurate? Likely.
It is entirely possible that Foster lines up alongside NaVorro Bowman on September 10, but the X-factors are his health and readiness. Though he was able to condition and attend team meetings, Foster’s shoulder prevented him from participating in drills during the offseason program, so he will be somewhat behind come training camp.
It remains to be seen how quickly he can get up to speed, but I imagine we will see Foster on the field early in the season, and if he’s not starting day one, it won’t be long until he is.
Odds of Making the Team:
Reuben Foster is going to make the team. He signed a four-year deal with the 49ers, and if everything goes according to plan, I am sure it will extend way beyond that. He’s an exciting prospect and this pick may just end up the biggest genius, highway robbery pick of the 2017 Draft. Here’s hoping.