Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith was scheduled to meet with 49ers coaches and officials even before Reuben Foster was charged last week with three felonies.
But Smith’s arrival at the team headquarters in Santa Clara on Tuesday might take on even more importance with Foster and the 49ers facing an uncertain future. Smith and Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech are linebackers who are considered strong candidates to be chosen with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft next Thursday.
Edmunds is scheduled to visit the 49ers on Wednesday, the Sacramento Bee reported.
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“I feel like I can make a tremendous impact on the defense, just with my playmaking ability, my leadership qualities and everything that I possess, as a football player on and off the field,” Smith said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. “I feel like that will definitely elevate any defense.”
Smith (6-foot-1, 236 pounds) declared for the NFL draft after his junior season at Georgia. He was the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year and was the winner of the SEC Championship MVP for his performance in a victory over Auburn.
Smith is an elite athlete who can make sideline-to-sideline plays in the run game while also being strong in pass coverage. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds at the combine.
A source told NBC Sports Bay Area that Smith would visit the 49ers on Tuesday. He posted a photo on social media from San Francisco International Airport late Monday night.
San Francisco 49ers
Foster faces two felony domestic violence charges and one felony charge of possession of an assault weapon. The 49ers announced Sunday that Foster would not participate in the club’s offseason program, which began Monday, while his legal case remains unresolved. The results of the case will likely determine if Foster has a future with the organization.
Click here for the list of known draft-eligible players with whom the 49ers have met. Each team can host up to 30 out-of-the-area players on visits.