Linebacker Reuben Foster
Yes, the Alabama product is only going to appear in 14 games this season because of a two-game suspension. However, second-year linebacker Reuben Foster will be playing more in 2018 than he did in his rookie year when appeared in just 10 games.
In that shortened season, he was able to show why the 49ers traded up for him late in Round 1 in the 2017 NFL Draft. He came away with a 90.7 overall grade (fourth at his position) on Pro Football Focus and a league-leading 11.4 run-stoppage percentage.
The only that can keep him from making it to the annual NFL All-Star game is himself. His offseason was mired with controversy and legal issues all around. Foster is already going to be suspended for the start of the season because of it. However, he’s looking back at it as a learning experience:
I learn from every mistake, everything that’s said, all my flaws. I learned from a lot of things and just grew from it. It made me appreciate football a lot better. It was crazy, knowing that football can be gone. Being back on this field with my brothers and these coaches, man, is a blessing.
He’s every bit the high profile inside linebacker that the team has been looking for since former Niners linebacker Patrick Willis’ retirement. Now if he can stay healthy and out of trouble, Foster will be headed to Orlando.