San Francisco 49ers

49ers trade up to select Reuben Foster 31st overall in the NFL Draft

Published Apr. 28, 2017 11:41 a.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

Reuben Foster was expected to be a top-10 pick before the NFL Combine, but everything went awry in Indianapolis. He got into a heated argument with a hospital worker and ultimately tested positive for a diluted sample, causing a massive draft-night fall.

John Lynch and the 49ers ended his free fall just before Thursday night ended, trading back into the first round to select Foster 31st overall. In order to do so, the 49ers gave up the 34th and 111th picks.

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/857801820315328512

It was a brilliant move by the first-year GM, landing one of the draft’s best defenders at the end of the first round. He'll be an immediate starter in San Francisco's defense and will pair nicely with Navorro Bowman on the second level.

Foster was an absolute stud at Alabama, and was undoubtedly the best linebacker in the country. It's unfortunate that injury concerns and the drug test at the Combine caused his stock to plummet, but he's in a good situation with the 49ers.

Lynch came away with a great haul in his first draft as a general manager.