San Francisco 49ers: Identifying 10 cornerstone players for 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Linebacker Reuben Foster
Solomon Thomas might have been the Niners’ first pick of the draft, but linebacker Reuben Foster is certainly the flashiest and has drawn the most attention.
Unfortunately, Foster’s rookie campaign was cut short by a high-ankle sprain 11 snaps into his NFL debut back in Week 1 — an injury that forced him to miss action between Weeks 2 and 6. Combine this with a ribs injury in Week 7, forcing to miss the following game, and we still have concerns whether or not Foster’s injury history will play a major role his pro career.
When he’s on the field, though, Foster is about as potent a weapon the team has had at this position since NaVorro Bowman in his prime.
Plays like the one below indicate this type of talent:
This was just one of 14 tackles Foster had that particular game.
Overall, Foster has an 86.2 Pro Football Focus grade on the season, which would rank sixth among all linebackers if he was a qualifier.
If he’s healthy, Foster is about as big a building block there is.