NFL
The 49ers have drafted three linebackers in the 1st round of the draft since 2007, with mixed results. The 1st, Patrick Willis, is a team legend. The 2nd, Aldon Smith, was talented but troubled and quickly washed out of the league. And after early on-field success and off-field controversy the jury is still out on the 3rd, Reuben Foster.
The Legacy of Patrick Willis
With the 11th pick of the 2007 draft the 49ers selected Patrick Willis, an inside linebacker out of Ole Miss. Willis quickly proved he was worth the pick, finishing his rookie year with 174 total tackles and 4 sacks to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a First-Team All-Pro nod. The rest of his career did not disappoint. Willis was in 7 Pro Bowls and 6 All-Pro teams in his 8 seasons in the NFL before retiring due to a foot injury. Many consider him to be one of the greatest linebackers in 49ers franchise history.
The Rise and Fall of Aldon Smith
With the 7th pick of the 2011 draft the 49ers selected Aldon Smith, an outside linebacker out of Missouri. He also got off to a fast start, piling up 14 sacks in his first season and finishing second to Von Miller in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. His career really took off in year two when he earned a full-time starting role, and he finished with 19.5 sacks and on his way to a First-Team All-Pro nod. Unfortunately, a sharp downward turn to his career quickly followed, as Smith spent much of his third season in rehab after a drunk driving incident.
More run-ins with the law and suspensions ensued, and the 49ers cut him after his 3rd DUI arrest. He was then signed by the Oakland Raiders. However, failed to play meaningful snaps for them due to a hit-and-run suspension that kept him out for 2 full years before his eventual release. He is currently unsigned, and due to ongoing legal issues and character concerns he is unlikely to play for an NFL team again. Though he possessed boundless potential as a player, the teams he played for could not trust him to stay on the field and keep himself out of trouble.
Reuben Foster’s Rookie Year
Reuben Foster is the most recent linebacker to receive a call from the 49ers in the 1st round. The 49ers selected him with the 31st pick of the 2017 draft. Most analysts regarded him as a top 10 prospect. However, he fell to the end of the round due to a combination of medical and character concerns. The medical concerns stemmed from an offseason shoulder surgery that some doctors felt wouldn’t hold up, and the character concerns were the result of a diluted drug test and a verbal altercation with a medical employee at the NFL combine. Foster missed much of the 49ers offseason program while he recovered from the shoulder surgery, but he was ready to play in time for training camp.
A pectoral injury to teammate Malcolm Smith cleared his path to the starting lineup. This opening a role for Foster at the “Will” linebacker position. He impressed in the team’s 4 preseason games, but unfortunately suffered an ankle sprain in a week 1 loss. After missing 5 games he returned against the Dallas Cowboys and suffered a rib injury in the 3rd quarter that also kept him out of the following game. Returning to start the final 8 games of the season, Foster showed flashes of dominance on his way to a selection to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team. The grading site Pro Football Focus awarded him the highest grade of any rookie linebacker and the fourth highest grade of any off-ball linebacker for the season.
A Concerning Offseason for Foster
After the optimism of the 2nd half of the season, a new spurt of issues has arisen. Since the conclusion of the season, Foster has faced a January arrest for Marijuana possession in Alabama and a February arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. A judge dropped the marijuana charge when Foster completed a diversion program. As for the serious domestic violence charges, the alleged victim recanted her accusations and admitted under oath that she fabricated her original statements in an attempt to extort money from Foster. While Foster has resolved his most serious legal issues, he still faces potential discipline from the league if the commissioner thinks he deserves it.
Can We Expect Willis or Smith?
Reuben Foster, like Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith, has shown the talent and ability to become one of the top linebackers in the league. When the 49ers drafted him he drew comparisons to Willis from many analysts and fans, and he did not shy away from them: “I grew up loving the 49ers. And Patrick Willis was one of the greats. I want to become one of the greats. I know I need to wait my turn, and do a step at a time. But I’m willing to do that,” he said during his first press conference as a 49er.
Nothing Foster has done on the field since then has suggested that he does not have the potential to be the next great 49ers linebacker. But Willis was also known for his reliability and his character off the field. If Foster, like Aldon Smith, cannot develop into a player that the 49ers coaches and front office can rely on, then despite undeniable talent he could become known as a draft bust that the 49ers were wrong to put their faith in. If, like Willis, he can stay healthy and become a role model for his teammates both on and off the field, he can become a cornerstone of a storied franchise and join the pantheon of 49ers greats.
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This article was originally written by former TSJ101SPORTS writer
