The 49ers said that they would have considered taking linebacker Reuben Foster with the third overall pick of the draft if the Bears had taken Solomon Thomas at No. 2 and they took advantage of a second opportunity to select him by trading back into the first round for the 31st pick.
Part of the reason Foster remained on the board at that point was because of concerns about a shoulder injury, which required surgery early this year that some teams reportedly felt did not correct the problem. Coach Kyle Shanahan said that the team felt the worst possible outcome was that Foster missed some time at the start of the season, but Foster has done some limited work this offseason and the larger worries seem to have subsided.
“He’s been doing great with his rehab,” Shanahan said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “Really have no concerns. I think he’ll be more than ready to go by training camp. That’s my feeling. Can’t promise that, but I’d be surprised if he wasn’t.”
Foster could push for a starting job if all goes well this summer and should have a big role on defense at some point in the not so distant future given how much the 49ers wanted to add him to their roster.