WR Jalen Hurd discusses being drafted by the 49ers

New San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jalen Hurd spoke to Bay Area reporters via a conference call after being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Here is everything he had to say.

Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.

So, you took a visit to the 49ers before the Draft?

"Yes, I did."

What was that like?

"It was amazing. Honestly, first since I saw that they had interest I wanted to be a 49er since I was around them and their staff, so to be drafted by them is pretty surreal."

What is it about them and what they do that appealed to you?

"Well, [head coach Kyle] Shanahan is obviously an offensive genius, so being in his offense, being a part of that organization, they are a very historic and great organization in the past, so just to be a part of that and Shanahan's offense, it's going to be something special."

Can you explain what went into your transfer and your position change?

"Yeah, I just want to play receiver, man, and I'm glad I got to have a pretty successful transition at Baylor and now getting drafted, it's pretty great."

What was it about receiver? Was it sort of the long-term ability to play there, maybe take fewer hits, things like that?

"Not as much of that as in me wanting to just play longer and just be more versatile, and I knew that I was. So, just being more versatile, being able to play longer in both scenarios."

Were you 6-5 when you were a running back?

"Yeah, I've always been pretty much 6-5. Just at running back, I wanted to be called 6-4 because 6-5 running back sounds even worse than 6-4. I went both ways on that one. I went to receiver, now I'm 6-5."

Where are you in your development as a wide receiver? What do you need to get on? How is your route running? Where do you need to get better?

"I say just the details in route running. I think my hands, I had a few drops last season but not too many. Hands are pretty much there. Always can get better, of course, but I think my biggest thing is route running and just the details in the route in the 49ers offense."

Did the 49ers discuss what type of plans they might have for you going forward?

"Absolutely. It's just me being a versatile matchmaker. Just wherever I fit honestly in that situation, so where I can be a mismatch on somebody, that's probably where I'll be at."

They already drafted WR Deebo Samuel. Did you get a sense in talking with them that they were very committed to bolstering and improving their wide receiver corps?

"Yeah, I could definitely see that they needed some value in the receiver position. I definitely knew that I might be a possibility and other people were, as well, but Deebo is a great athlete, so it's a future teammate, so it's cool to be a part of it."

Did you visit on the same day Deebo did?

"I did, yeah. We were in at the same time."

If you've always been a tall guy, how is it that you became a running back and why not do wide receiver from the get-go?

"Yeah, I've never actually been, growing up I was always kind of like the small, shifty, running back. I think eighth or ninth grade year, I went from 5-8 to 6-3 and I got tall through high school and ended up being probably around 6-5, freshman, sophomore year. Yeah, so I've always wanted to be a running back and I just want to be in a more versatile place and play a little bit longer, so receiver it was."

Why the transfer from Tennessee? Were they not interested in you changing positions?

"Man, honestly, it doesn't even matter at this point, man. I'm a 49er, so let's just focus on that."

When you are talking about your height, how has that helped you, I guess in the red zone and end zone? How did you discover that last year when you were at Baylor?

"Yeah, I was able to get a couple end zone passes up top, but height at the receiver position, you're trying to catch balls over and around people, so being tall is just more convenient, I would say. Not saying if you're small you can't do it, but it's a little more less convenient for you. Yeah, being tall is great now at this position."

Was there anything that Kyle Shanahan discussed with you that he saw was something that you needed to work on going forward?

"Say that one more time?"

Is there anything that Shanahan discussed with you that he thought you might need to work on heading forward?

"Yeah, I think I'm going to learn that more as I get in in the next few days and as I see my role more and more explained to me. So, we'll kind of assess that in the future, I think."

Are you healthy and ready to go for rookie mini-camp?

"I think I should be, yes, sir."

You had a knee procedure recently?

"I did, yeah."

Was that, when was that?

"That was, I think like the end of December, beginning of January."