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It looked after one preseason game like the 49ers found a third-round gem in wide receiver Jalen Hurd. He scored two touchdowns in the preseason opener and flashed the multifaceted skill set that made him an enticing prospect worth an early selection in last year’s draft. A back injury the following week quickly derailed his rookie season though, and he sat out the entire year.
Hurd is still a captivating prospect because of his size and experience at running back and wide receiver. Whether he officially plays receiver or tight end in the NFL remains to be seen, although it sounds like we’ll get another look at Hurd relatively early in the offseason.
General manager John Lynch on Tuesday told assembled media at the NFL combine that Hurd hadn’t been medically cleared from a stress fracture in his back. He does expect the second-year receiver to be ready for the full offseason program which starts in mid-to-late April.
#49ers John Lynch is speaking now at #NFLCombine.
Updates on WR Jalen Hurd: “Nearing a better place” after stress fracture in back sidelined rookie year. Should be clear for offseason program in April. pic.twitter.com/jZgXjwdogC— Cam Inman (@CamInman) February 25, 2020
Hurd scored his first professional touchdown by catching a crossing route in the preseason opener, then plowing through a pair of defenders at the goal line. It was the type of finish to a run where his background as a running back at the University of Tennessee shined.
Later in the game, he went up and high-pointed a fade route in the corner of the end zone for his second touchdown. The body control and timing was an indication that Hurd could be a legitimate red zone threat right away, even if he needed to develop more as a receiver after playing it for only one year in college at the University of Baylor.
Hurd is an intriguing prospect who could give the 49ers another weapon who can fill multiple spots on offense when he’s in the game. San Francisco utilizes Deebo Samuel, Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle outside of the traditional roles of their positions already, so having another player with that skill set should only make the 49ers offense more dynamic.
There may still be a learning curve as Hurd returns to the field for the first time in nearly a year, but getting him in early in the offseason program could allow him to succeed in the regular season right away.