Reuben Foster was taken by the San Francisco 49ers after a freefall through the majority of the first round, the result of being medically rejected by many teams.
Reuben Foster was considered the best linebacker in his draft class by far, an impact talent who warranted top of the draft consideration. The San Francisco 49ers have admitted they had Foster at No. 3 overall on their draft board and would have taken him at No. 3 if Solomon Thomas had not been there. Now word is coming out that Foster lasted until the 49ers could trade up again — at No. 31 overall — due to being “medically rejected” by other NFL teams.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that “worried teams” were concerned that Foster’s shoulder could cost him his rookie season or even give out entirely, needing another second surgery.
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The Kansas City Chiefs brought in Foster during the pre-draft season for a workout, so clearly there was some level of interest there. With a limited amount of visits, the Chiefs likely wanted to feel out for themselves the extent of the injury.
The Chiefs certainly have a need at the position. Derrick Johnson is returning from an Achilles tendon tear and is in his mid-thirties. Josh Mauga is now a free agent. The Chiefs have Ramik Wilson and special teams ace D.J. Alexander, but adding someone with Foster’s talent would have been a serious jolt in the heart of the Chiefs defense.
The Chiefs definitely had quarterback in their sights heading into the draft, but given the way Dorsey was dealing up and down the draft board, if the Chiefs had really wanted Foster, they could have traded back up into the first round to get him since the cost of doing so at the end was at a point where they still had a second and a third round selection.
It would be interesting to know whether or not the Chiefs had crossed Reuben Foster off of their list heading into the draft entirely. If so, they are likely one of many, which caused the Alabama rookie to fall much farther than expected.