Dion Jordan, #95, Oakland Raiders (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers will take a flier on Dion Jordan.
The San Francisco 49ers appear to be in a gambling mood this offseason, as evidenced by the signing of the extremely talented, yet injury-prone, tight end Jordan Reed after concussions ended his tenure in Washington. The next Bay Area reclamation project comes in the form of Dion Jordan, an extremely talented pass rusher who hasn’t put it all together in the pros just yet.
After recording two sacks as a Raider during their final season in Oakland, Jordan might stay in the Bay Area, as the 49ers will try to bring in the former Miami Dolphins draft bust.
Dion Jordan is one of the biggest draft busts in history.
The Dolphins traded up to pick Jordan third overall in the 2013 draft, making him the highest-drafted Oregon Duck since Joey Harrington was picked third overall in 2002. While the idea of a 260-pound edge rusher with speed and athleticism is mouth-watering, Jordan’s off-field issues got the better of him.
He played just 26 games in Miami and recorded just three sacks, getting suspended three times for both violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy and drug policy. He was even suspended for the entire 2015 season after providing a diluted sample during a test. After a slight resurgence with the Seattle Seahawks, Jordan ended up backing up Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby in Oakland.
While he has beefed up to around 280 pounds in order to play as a traditional hand in the dirt defensive end, he still offers plenty of speed and athleticism that could be useful as a backup pass rusher.
Jordan’s potential as a star that can anchor a defensive line has all but evaporated, as his problems with substance abuse and poor pro production have firmly relegated him to backup roles. Still, Nick Bosa and Dee Ford will need someone to spell them, and Jordan has enough left in the tank to answer the call.