San Francisco 49ers

Niners' fourth-round draft pick 'has unlimited potential'

Published Jul. 30, 2015 6:49 p.m. ET

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Colin Kaepernick will have some shiny new toys to play with in 2015. 

The 49ers signed deep threat Torrey Smith and versatile running back Reggie Bush in the offseason. But they also drafted a multi-sport athlete out of Georgia Tech who "has a very high ceiling," according to Yellow Jackets football coach Paul Johnson.

DeAndre Smelter was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list prior to training camp as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL suffered in his final game at Georgia Tech. The 6-foot-3 athlete played three years of baseball in college, before two seasons on the gridiron. Smelter was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins out of high school in 2010.

In just 25 games playing under Johnson, Smelter recorded 56 receptions, 1,060 yards and 11 scores. In a Q&A with 49ers.com, Johnson praised Smelter for his work ethic and believes the wide receiver "has unlimited potential." 

Smith and Anquan Boldin are expected to be Kaepernick's top two targets in 2015, but can Smelder emerge as a viable third option? 

How fast he can recover from his ACL injury is a big question mark, but it seems as if the tools are in place to make an impact right away. 

(h/t 49ers.com)

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