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It was no surprise to hear San Francisco 49ers defensive end
Nick Bosa's name called when the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award was announced in February. The young defensive star dominated opposing offensive lines and showed why he is one of the best rising stars in the NFL.
What if the 49ers had ended up with the Defensive Rookie of the Year
and the Offensive Rookie of the Year? Wouldn't that have been impressive?
Peter King of NBC Sports told general manager John Lynch this week that, after visiting training camp last year, he felt wide receiver Jalen Hurd was the most impressive player on the roster.
"I walked out of that camp, and we got in the car to go to the next place," King said while interviewing Lynch on his podcast, "and the two women I was traveling with said, 'Well, what was your impression?' I said, 'We just saw the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.' This guy is going to come out of nowhere. He's going to be fantastic."
That never came close to happening, of course. Hurd played in just one preseason game before a back injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Lynch sounds cautiously optimistic about Hurd finally contributing in 2020.
"Well, he had a good redshirt year," Lynch told King. "Now, he's got to go do it. Our belief hasn't changed. We've seen him for 14 days on the field, and I agree with you. You can make a case he was the best player on the field for those 14 days.
"One of the things in this league, your best ability is availability. He's got to be available. That wasn't his fault. He had a stress reaction in his back that flared up. It was frustrating because every time he'd get close, he'd go try to ramp up, and it would hurt him. And that's the way those things are. I've learned more about that injury than I'd ever want to know.
"Jalen's doing very well. He's a big part of our plans. And remember, in the past, we thought he could play some receiver, we thought he could play some backup tight end. We thought, even at times, we could play him at running back.
"That vision for him hasn't changed. Now he's just got to go do it and be available. We almost look at him as another draft choice this year."
You can listen to the entire interview with Lynch below.
The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 31 overall pick, but speculation abounds that they may seek to move before or during the first round of next week's NFL Draft. With the offensive line as a prime target for improvement and the position going mostly ignored in free agency, a strategic trade-up to acquire an impact player could be in the cards.
Alyssa Barbieri proposes such a scenario in her latest mock draft for USA Today's Touchdown Wire. Barbieri envisions the 49ers trading with the Miami Dolphins to move up 10 spots, selecting former Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham.
Latham started 27 games
With the 2024 NFL Draft just around the corner, the anticipation is palpable as San Francisco prepares to make their first first-round selection in over two years. Here, I present the top prospects for each offensive position, both inside and outside the top 100, with their potential to shape the team's future and draft grades.
Quarterback - Michael Penix Jr., Washington
2nd-round grade
Strengths:
Pocket passer
High IQ and processing
Blitz beater
Concerns:
Durability (Four season-ending injuries)
Accuracy outside the pocket.
Michael Penix Jr. is a great pocket-passing quarterback with a high IQ pre- and post-snap. He can read the defense well and
NFL Communications has officially announced the "NFL legends and active players" who will announce selections during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Representing the San Francisco 49ers will be former defensive tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams, who spent four seasons with the team and nine in the NFL.
San Francisco selected Adams out of Penn State in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.
The NFL's full announcement is below.
In the NFL's continuous effort to connect the game's greats with the next generation of stars, NFL Legends and active players will add to the excitement of the 2024 NFL Draft by announcing various selections and participating in festivities in Detroit.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Isaac
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
