NFL Draft: Jarryd Hayne braces for San Francisco 49ers’ draft pick

THIS week the NFL Draft will take place in Chicago. So how will this affect Jarryd Hayne’s chances of making the 53-man squad at the 49ers?

Hayne braces for NFL Draft outcome

THIS week the NFL Draft will take place in Chicago. So how will this affect Jarryd Hayne’s chances of making the 53-man squad at the San Francisco 49ers?

History can give plenty of insight into what the Californian NFL team might do. In the last decade San Francisco have drafted a running back eight times, that includes their second round selection of Carlos Hyde in 2014.

Jarryd Hayne runs through drills at 49ers training.

Hyde is currently the starter in the position after Frank Gore’s departure and Kendall Hunter has been training well on the comeback trail from an ACL injury to be his desired back-up.

But the jury is still out on whether running back is the right position for former NRL star, Hayne. Kick or punt returner are also potential positions for him.

Signed as a free agent by the franchise, Hayne is listed as an “RB” on the official team roster, alongside fellow running backs Hyde, Hunter, Reggie Bush and Kendall Gaskins.

If San Francisco were to continue the trend of recent years and draft a gun running back, that would certainly put further pressure on Hayne in his ambitious quest to play in the NFL.

There are some points that work in his favour though.

STACKED AT RB

San Francisco might want a talented rookie running back like a T.J Yeldon or Duke Johnson on their books, but the fact is they are not in desperate need. Hyde was able to show plenty in the latter part of the season last year and in the off-season has reportedly worked exceptionally hard in improving his game and his physique, trimming down and adding a step of pace. If he can keep that up, they’ve got a solid starter. Kendall Hunter is nothing to shrug at either, with training showing no signs of his knee being a worry. With a seasoned NFL pro like Bush also on hand, backed up by Gaskins and Hayne, there’s no great emergency in this position for the 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers at pre-season training. Colin Kaepernick is in the red shorts and red leggings, Jarryd Hayne is third from the right.

POSITION PRIORITIES

With the 15th overall pick the 49ers will first want to secure their stocks in the cornerback or defensive line positions. The loss of Chris Culliver, Perish Cox, Chris Borland, Patrick Willis and retirement questions over Justin Smith, leaves San Francisco in a pickle defensively. Seattle’s Richard Sherman, Jets’ Darrelle Revis and Houston’s J.J. Watt have proven how valuable a good defence can be. The 49ers need to catch up. They might also look to pick a quality wide receiver. Their clandestine general manager Trent Baalke has had a fairly good track record in the draft but last year the 49ers offense struggled. A Mike Evans or Odell Beckham Jnr. type of wide receiver, in addition to former Raven and now Niner, Torrey Smith, could help out quarterback Colin Kaepernick significantly.

MAKE GOOD ON THE INVESTMENT

It makes sense that the 49ers will want to see through their experiment with Hayne. They spent US$100,000 guaranteed on a guy who has never played a snap in a game. Everyday they’re still learning more about him, trying to find out how to make him work for the team. Franchises make gambles all the time, but they’ll want this one to pay off, especially with a nation of potential new fans that come with him.

Jarryd Hayne at his press conference to announce he will be playing with the San Francisco 49ers. Picture: Gregg Porteous

VALUE IN VERSATILITY

Unlike players who are trained for much of their athletic career to play in bursts and in a certain style, Hayne enters with an exceptional advantage in terms of fitness and skills. Rugby league has shaped him to be an all-round threat. Catching kicks and passes, shrugging tackles, making tackles, kicking and exploding through to make line-breaks — all of this makes Hayne an extremely versatile athlete with more varied skills than many of his teammates. The instinctual element of rugby league, versus the American game too makes him an exciting prospect, despite still being a project. There is of course work to do. He must learn a lot, and we’re not just talking about the playbook. But if he does develop and adjust well to the game, potentially Hayne could be used in numerous positions. The vote of confidence from Bush, Kaepernick and Baalke cannot be ignored.

The 49ers will have the following picks in the 2015 NFL Draft:

15th overall (1st round), 46 (2nd round), 79 (3rd round), 126 (4th round), 132 (4th round), 151 (5th round), 190 (6th round), 246 (7th round), 254 (7th round)

Hayne at 49ers pre-season practice.

Originally published as NFL Draft: Jarryd Hayne braces for San Francisco 49ers’ draft pick