The San Francisco 49ers have gotten eight members of their 11-player draft class signed with rookie minicamp now finished, but the three who remain unsigned are perhaps the most important players in the group.
San Francisco on Friday announced seven of their draft picks signed. That group included linebacker Nick Martin, cornerback Upton Stout, wide receiver Jordan Watkins, running back Jordan James, safety Marques Sigle, offensive lineman Connor Colby and wide receiver Junior Bergen.
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A short while later the club also announced quarterback Kurtis Rourke signed his four-year rookie contract.
There’s a glaring absence among those eight names though. None of the 49ers’ three selections along the defensive line have inked rookie contracts. That group includes first-round pick Mykel Williams, second-round pick Alfred Collins and fourth-round pick CJ West. There’s a chance all three could wind up starting for San Francisco this season.
While it’s better to have draft picks signed than not, there’s not any major urgency for the 49ers to get those contracts done. The NFL rookie scale makes the contracts relatively easy to work out. All three players were at the facility for rookie minicamp, and as long as they attend mandatory minicamp and are signed by training camp, the delay in contract signing shouldn’t be an issue.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers draft picks: 3 key players unsigned at end of rookie minicamp