49ers: 5 Canadian sleeper prospects to target in 2021 NFL Draft

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Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard (30) Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

49ers Target No. 1: Undrafted running backs are a 49ers specialty, but using a pick on Chuba Hubbard is worth it

After having an outstanding 2019 campaign, Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard’s draft stock has fallen a bit. Ankle injuries, a public dispute with his head coach, and opting out of the final few weeks of 2020 took their toll.

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Hubbard is from Sherwood Park, Alberta. In 2019 he won the Jon Cornish trophy which celebrates the top Canadian in college football.

Daniel Jeremiah has high praise for the kid but also thinks he could be a day-three choice:

"Ultra productive. Tough, physical — I wrote down that he’s kind of a no-nonsense guy when you watch him run, he runs with a real low pad level. I don’t think he has a tremendous amount of top-end juice, but you can use him in the screen game. Once he gets the ball in his hands he’s tough to get down, breaks a lot of tackles. I think he’s a day three pick. The fifth round would be where I would have him. He could go a little earlier, a little later."

I was high on Hubbard going into last season and still think of him as one of the best Canadian prospects on the board. In fact, he could be one of the best running back prospects in general.

It’s clear he’ll have some work to do, but he’d be an outstanding player in a Kyle Shanahan system.

Next. 49ers NFL Draft: 5 positions to address after free agency. dark

The 2021 NFL Draft could set the record for most Canadians picked with five or more expected to be taken. The 49ers might be one of the teams helping create history.