Drafting injured players has become something of a specialty for the 49ers, though their first-rounder is expected to contribute this season.
According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, rookie defensive back Jimmie Ward will likely be on the sidelines until the start of training camp with a foot injury.
Ward didn’t know he was hurt until his medical examinations at the Scouting Combine, when doctors discovered a Jones fracture (which is less severe and less French than a Lisfranc injury) in his right foot.
“I have no clue,” Ward said when asked when he was injured. “I didn’t feel it. I had no symptoms. I didn’t feel anything. . . .
“They basically put a screw in the metatarsal, it was fractured. They took some bone marrow out of my hip and inserted it into the crack to help speed up the process.”
He had surgery shortly after his pro day in March, and is expected to be back in six to eight weeks. He should have an immediate role as a nickel and at safety this year, so they’re in no hurry to rush him into OTAs, when he’s expected to be ready to go later this summer.