Who contributes more in 2021 for the 49ers: Jalen Hurd or Dee Ford?

The San Francisco 49ers hold the 43rd pick in the NFL Draft. In the second round, they’re in a position to take the best player available. We see it in every draft where a talented player falls further than expected.

The Niners have a handful of players returning from a season-ending injury. Star edge rusher Nick Bosa posted a video on his Instagram of him rehabbing:

Bosa looks like he squats in his sleep. That’s an encouraging video as for as progress is concerned. Bosa hitting the ground and running by the time training camp rolls around.

Two other contributors who had big expectations in each of the past two seasons, Jalen Hurd and Dee Ford, have both been hurt in either all or the majority of the past two years. It feels like fools gold to rely on the two for the third year in a row.

Investing an early third-round pick in a player and not getting a regular-season snap out of him has to a gut punch for the 49ers. Ego could come into play here, but San Francisco will always give an early draft pick the benefit of the doubt. That’s the case with any organization. This season could be Hurd’s last strike, but I have a sneaky suspicion that he’ll start the season as WR3.

We’ve heard John Lynch say Ford has been rehabbing like no other this offseason. Any contributions from Ford feels like a bonus this season. I wonder if healthy, the team dials Ford’s snap counts back to a role player to preserve him for the entire season.

My question to you: who contributes more for the 49ers this upcoming season? Will it be Hurd, the player who has yet to take the field in the regular season? Or Ford, the oft-injured vet who is proven on the field but unreliable off it?