One of the most interesting picks in last month's draft was the selection of Jalen Hurd by the San Francisco 49ers. Hurd was by no means a household name, so his drafting flew a little bit under the radar. But Hurd was one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft, and there's a reason he was a late riser.
The 49ers ended up taking Hurd with the 67th overall pick, and coaches have raved about him ever since. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has talked about his versatility, and how he plans to use him all over the field. Hurd started his career as a running back at Tennessee, before transferring to Baylor and making the switch to receiver last season.
He was the rare prospect who put up a ton of production at both positions, and he could seemingly play either in the NFL. Matt Barrows of the Athletic recently tracked down some of Hurd's old coaches and asked them about their former unique star.
“He’s explosive. I mean, his first 10 yards in short-area space — for a guy who’s going on 6-5, he really is explosive and quick in short-area movement,” said Baylor co-offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon. “You saw that he was able to run the out routes, the option routes, all those sorts of things,” he explained.
Baylor head coach Matt Rhule also talked about what an asset Hurd was, saying:
“Is he a tailback? Is a receiver? Is he an inside receiver? What is he? And that allows you to have a lot of fun as a play-caller or as a coach.”
Hurd landing with the 49ers and in turn Shanahan, one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, was a perfect match. Shanahan is surely licking his chops at all of the stuff he can run with Hurd, and it should be really fun to watch.
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