Reuben Foster was headed to the Saints before San Francisco traded back up
It’s no surprise that Reuben Foster’s long and winding journey to becoming an NFL player had one final twist before the former standout Alabama linebacker heard his name called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday night.
Well before Goodell reached the podium and announced San Francisco had selected Rueben Froster (he butchered his name live on television), Foster had apparently been contacted by New Orleans. The Saints must have conveyed to Foster that they planned on taking him with the No. 32 overall pick. Of course, the Niners traded back into the first round, acquiring the No. 31 overall pick from Seattle, and took Foster.
According to San Francisco general manager John Lynch, when he reached out to Foster to tell him the good news, the Butkus Award winner told him he was headed to New Orleans.
“When I was talking to him, he said, ‘Coach, New Orleans is taking me,'” Lynch said during San Francisco’s post-draft press conference. “I said no, we’re taking you.”
New Orleans head coach Sean Payton seemed to confirm that news following the team’s selection of offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin.
Payton says Reuben Foster was in consideration had he been available at pick No. 32 #SaintsDraft
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 28, 2017
Weeks before Foster had any pre-draft missteps, several mock drafts had him going No. 2 overall to San Francisco. Who would have believed at that time he would go to the Niners with the second-to-last pick in the first round of the draft instead of with the second overall pick? Regardless of how it happened, the Niners ended the first night of the draft getting their inside linebacker of the future.