Reuben Foster, 49ers Agree to 4-Year Rookie Contract

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to terms with linebacker Reuben Foster, whom they selected with the No. 31 pick in the NFL draft.

The 49ers announced the deal Friday.

Foster was projected by many to be a top-10 selection after an impressive college career, winning the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the country at Alabama.

However, he slid on draft day toward the end of the first round before the 49ers nabbed him.

A failed drug test at the combine certainly didn't help his prospects, although it was reportedly his shoulder injury that caused most teams to pass on him, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The injury wasn't enough to scare off San Francisco.

"The worst-case scenario, he wouldn't end up being able to play for us right away," head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR (via Kevin Spain of USA Today). "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."

Along with No. 3 pick Solomon Thomas out of Stanford, general manager John Lynch said the team grabbed two of the team's top three players on their draft board in the first round, per Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

Foster's health remains a question mark, but the 49ers are confident the young prospect will be an impact player on the defense as soon as he is ready to play. With contract issues now behind him, he will simply need to focus on returning to the field.

After a 2-14 season where they allowed the most points in football, San Francisco should be thrilled to add some much-needed talent on the defensive side of the ball.