The 49ers picked Norther Illinois S Jimmie Ward in the 1st round of the NFL draft.  NFL Network's Mike Mayock called Ward a "natural centerfielder" who's not afraid to come down in the box.  "He answered the bell every game in college," Mayock added.  Ward should be able to beat out veteran free-agent addition Antoine Bethea to start next to S Eric Reid, last year's 1st-rounder.  Ward looks like a better IDP bet by virtue of his in-the-box play.

The 49ers plan to place S Jimmie Ward on short-term IR, and he's expected to miss at least 4 games. GM John Lynch announced the plan Thursday night, for a hamstring injury that HC Kyle Shanahan had previously deemed "significant."

Niners S Jimmie Ward is dealing with a hamstring injury. According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, HC Kyle Shanahan called it "worse than others" and said Ward is in danger of missing Week 1. It's not a big storyline for IDP purposes, but Ward has a place in deep leagues. His absence would be a slight knock on the team defense as well.

Niners S Jimmie Ward (quad) is active for tonight's game against the Rams. He returns after missing Week 9 with the injury.

Niners S Jimmie Ward (quad) is active for today's game against the Seahawks. He'll take his position back from Tarvarius Moore and carries upside against pass-heavy Seattle.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the 49ers have agreed to a 3-year, $28.5 million deal with S Jimmie Ward. The 28-year-old -- until mid-July -- is coming off the healthiest and strongest season among his 1st 6 in the league. In addition to staying on the field, Ward also settled in to a higher percentage of safety snaps than he played in 2018. Ward combines that role with some valuable slot-corner exposure to present IDP upside beyond last year's mediocre production.