If his injuries aren’t as bad as some believe, Reuben Foster could be remembered as one of the steals of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The former Alabama star linebacker was projected by many to be a top 10 pick in the draft, but he dropped like a stone on draft night as teams believed his shoulder was still a problem and might require a second surgery. Despite the risk, the San Francisco 49ers traded back into the first round and selected Foster with the No. 31 overall pick.

With two first-round draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, San Francisco is clearly intent on improving a defense that was the worst in the NFL last season. Although Foster brings quite an impressive resume to his new team, it looks like he’s got a challenge ahead of him.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has told reporters that Foster is working at both weakside and middle linebacker, which seem like natural fits. The only issue is that there isn’t an obvious opening at either position.

San Francisco signed free-agent linebacker Malcolm Smith in March to a contract that guaranteed him $11.5 million. Smith is expected to play weakside linebacker. Middle linebacker is expected to be manned by three-time All-Pro NaVorro Bowman, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury.

“When you ask me about how is it going to play out, I’m not sure and it’s a good problem to have,” Shanahan told reporters, according to a transcript of his press conference. “It’s something that you would actually like to have at every position. There’s going to be, in my opinion, there’s going to be a very good player that’s not out there all the time and that’s not a bad thing. That makes the two guys that are out there go a lot harder and play better.”

It’s unlikely that Foster will be intimidated by the idea of competition. After all, Nick Saban has fostered an environment of intense competition at Alabama while molding it into the preeminent program in college football.

If he’s expecting to be taken under a veteran’s wing, however, he probably shouldn’t look Bowman’s way.

“We haven’t talked about (Foster’s selection in the draft). I did that on purpose,” Bowman told the media after OTAs, according to The Mercury News. “It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll compete with anyone, whether he’s 21 or 35, it doesn’t matter. I’m a guy who’s going to give my best effort and have full confidence in my abilities to play this game. I know how much I study this game. I know how good I am and that’s what I am going to bring back here.”

Fans may be excited to see what the team’s newest linebacker may be able to do on the field, but he must outwork a pair of talented veterans before making an impact on Sundays.