The draft stock for Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has fallen a lot since the end of his college career. At one point, he was a popular choice as the San Francisco 49ers' second overall selection in numerous mock drafts. Now, some are wondering if Foster might slip into the second round.
While many mock drafts believe that Foster will still be selected somewhere later in the first round, there are some who warn not to be surprised if he actually does fall into the second. After the second overall pick, the 49ers own the 34th overall selection, which is the second selection in round two of the draft.
CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler is one of those who would not be shocked to see Foster drop out of the first round. He joined KNBR this morning to discuss the possibility.
"You can't rule it out and it's something that Reuben Foster, you could argue, has had the worst pre-draft process this year since Deshaun Watson threw that touchdown pass in the National Title game to win it," Brugler said. "It's just been downhill for Foster. He had to rotator cuff surgery. He didn't go to the Senior Bowl. He wasn't able to work out at the combine but it didn't matter because he was sent home, which is unprecedented that he'd be sent home for disciplinary reasons.
"Then you also factor in the diluted sample now. Teams area treating it like a failed drug test. It's something that there are a lot of red flags here and teams had their questions before the process. Not everyone at Alabama speaks very highly of him just in terms of his commitment. He likes to party and that's something that factors in.
"And then the medicals as well. I mentioned the rotator cuff. He had a history of sting issues with the shoulder. He had a concussion as well so these red flags -- now, the tape is great but are you able to justify the pick with all these red flags for the tape? So I could see him going somewhere in that mid-to-late first round, absolutely. But it shouldn't surprise anybody if he's available in the early second."
You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR.
Something somewhat similar occurred last year to UCLA linebacker Myles Jack. Some had him listed as a potential selection by the 49ers with the seventh overall selection. Jack's draft stock fell when he admitted that his knee had degenerative aspects, which could require microfracture surgery in the future. He ended up falling into the second round and was selected with the 36th overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As a senior at Alabama in 2016, Foster finished with 115 tackles, 13 for losses, and five sacks. He was awarded the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's best linebacker. The 6-foot, 229-pound Foster, had 211 tackles, 23 of which were for a loss, seven sacks, and nine passes defended in three years with Alabama.
The 2017 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night from Philadelphia.
