49ers' Shanahan unfazed by prospect of Foster missing season with injury
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is in no rush to use one of his most coveted assets next fall.
The 49ers traded up to select linebacker Reuben Foster with the No. 31 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, widely considered the best player at his position available this spring.
Foster descended through the first round in large part due to concerns about his shoulder after undergoing surgery in February, but Shanahan isn't worried by his prognosis.
"The worst-case scenario is that the shoulder doesn't heal correctly and you've got to do it again," Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR. "And then you have to do it again, you have to get another surgery. It would be tough to play this year, and you end up having him the next year.
"But it's not something that would hurt him long-term. So the worst-case scenario, he wouldn’t end up being able to play for us right away. But I still don't think that would have changed how I personally felt about taking a guy with the 31st pick with the caliber of player that we took."
The 49ers are undergoing a drastic rebuild and Shanahan is well positioned to allow his young assets to rest before entering the professional ranks.
- With h/t to FOX Sports