Do The San Francisco 49ers Have A Plan For Jalen Hurd?

It’s one thing to draft good players. It’s an entirely different thing to develop them. San Francisco made a head-scratching decision when they decided to draft Baylor wide receiver, Jalen Hurd in the 3rd round. This came just one round after the 49ers already drafted Deebo Samuel. Where exactly does Hurd fit in?

I don’t think that’s an answer that anybody knows. I don’t think Kyle Shanahan even knows that answer. Shanahan had this to say when talking about adding Hurd in the draft.

“He can do about everything,” Shanahan said. “I think if he would have stayed a running back, I think he would have gotten drafted as an NFL running back. Today he got drafted as an NFL receiver, kind of. I believe if he tried to play tight end he would have gotten drafted as an NFL tight end. That’s a pretty unique thing to have. I don’t remember being able to say that about any player I’ve studied before. So, it’s neat to be able to do that and he can help us out in a lot of different ways.”

Okay, I get versatility. I understand how that’s a great trait. Hurd played running back at Tennessee and then transferred to Baylor to play wide receiver. My question is how and where is he going to play? Marquise Goodwin is the deep ball guy. Dante Pettis is the outside possession receiver. Deebo Samuel is now in the slot working the middle. George Kittle is one of the best tight ends in football. Let’s also mention that San Fran has running backs out the ass with Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, Jerick McKinnon, and Raheem Mostert. Tell me exactly how Hurd factors into this equation?

Hurd has proved he has talent. I’m not denying that. Hurd started over Alvin Kamara at Tennessee. Hurd racked up over 1,100 receiving yards at Baylor last year. My question is what the plan is for him? That’s the difference between a good draft and a great draft.

This San Francisco team had too many holes in the defense to roll the dice on a versatile weapon when 800 already existed on the roster. Hurd not only has to be productive, Shanahan better make sure he sees the field too. If not, this pick was a total waste.