The 49ers’ most surprising pick in the 2019 NFL draft might wind up being their best. San Francisco elected to take Baylor wide receiver Jalen Hurd No. 67 overall – just one round after taking wide receiver Deebo Samuel with the No. 36 pick. A second receiver was a bit of a head-scratching move with so many other needs on the roster, but getting Hurd in Round 3 might go down as the steal of the draft.
Most of the upside is obvious with Hurd. He has NFL size at 6-4, 226 pounds, and he produced at two positions in college. His tape makes it hard to believe his size given that he moves like a much more compact player.
Hurd racked up 2,844 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground in college with the University of Tennessee and the University of Baylor. He also caught 136 balls for 1,438 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His transfer from Tennessee to Baylor at the end of his third year with the Volunteers was driven in part because of his desire to play wide receiver instead of running back. That position switch limited him to just one year at receiver, which likely drove his draft stock down a bit for some teams.
However, that positional versatility is something the 49ers should be able to utilize right away. The biggest obstacle for Hurd was going to be refining himself as a receiver so he can play there in the NFL. Matt Barrows of the Athletic talked to Baylor head coach Matt Rhule in an interesting piece about the 49ers’ new receiver.
“He had to learn skills that most guys develop over 17 years,” Rhule told Barrows. “He had to learn them in 17 months.”
Rhule went on to cite several examples of Hurd recognizing a deficiency in his game at receiver and finding extra time after practice to try and improve those areas.
That work ethic is going to be vital to his success in the NFL. He’s set up nicely with a coach that isn’t going to pigeonhole him into a position. There are things Hurd does well and things he doesn’t do well – head coach Kyle Shanahan’s willingness to utilize Hurd in different formations will keep him from doing things he doesn’t thrive at.
On the other hand, continued work like Rhule described could wind up making Hurd more than just a Swiss Army knife on offense. He’ll be dangerous right away, but an iteration of Hurd that can line up wide and beat corners with his route running is a maximized version of an already nightmare matchup for defenses.
It may take Hurd one or two years to fully polish his skill set as a receiver, but the fact he’s taken such big strides in just the last couple of seasons bodes well for his continued development. Hurd might not be the best player in the 2019 draft class, but the path is there for him to wind up as the most unique offensive weapon in the NFL.
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