2024 NFL Combine standouts the 49ers can't allow to become draft busts
By Peter Panacy
![Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at the NFL Combine Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at the NFL Combine](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/42/01hqyjvw309yyb6ch7k8.jpg)
No. 3: LB Payton Wilson, NC State
San Francisco might easily be looking for a linebacker at some in the middle of the NFL Draft to account for the potential absence of star backer Dre Greenlaw, who suffered a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl.
Certainly not a first-round pick and someone who'll likely be called toward the end of Round 2.
At 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds, Wilson is somewhere in between a traditional middle linebacker and a strong-side edge rusher, yet he nevertheless commands some serious athletic prowess despite some notable over-aggressiveness.
Tack on his 4.43 40-yard time and 34.5-inch vertical at the NFL Combine, and its easy to see why scouts are intrigued.
But Wilson comes with serious injury risks, too, including having two torn ACLs and a shoulder injury during his days at NC State. Those will knock down his draft stock considerably.
For a 49ers team that has had more than its fair share of serious injuries in recent seasons, Wilson is a player they'd be wise to pass over.