Reuben Foster was as good a candidate as any for the San Francisco 49ers with the second overall pick in the NFL draft. But after getting sent home from the NFL combine over the weekend, his draft stock might tumble.

The Alabama linebacker, widely considered a top-10 selection after winning the Butkus Award last season, was sent home Saturday after a reported clash with a hospital worker during a medical exam in Indianapolis.

From ESPN:

Foster got into a heated altercation with a hospital worker on Friday, multiple sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and he was sent home prior to team interviews Friday night and testing Saturday. A league source said there was a “miscommunication” that allowed the argument between Foster and a hospital worker to escalate.

Foster had been waiting for an extended period of time for what the NFL calls his “pre-exam” when he grew increasingly impatient and began questioning a hospital worker. The hospital worker did not take kindly to Foster’s words, and eventually the two were face-to-face in a heated exchange.

That’s certainly not a good look for a prospect on a weekend-long job interview that’s likely the biggest of Foster’s life. He sent a letter to NFL teams apologizing for the incident, according to NFL Network.

There were questions about Foster’s draft stock relating to his health prior to the combine. He wasn’t scheduled to participate in drills on Sunday after recently having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.

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Foster’s recovery time is expected to be roughly four months, likely in time for training camp return this summer. But he’s expected to miss the bulk of the offseason program with the team that drafts him, which could make it difficult to win a starting job in Week 1.

The 49ers have an obvious need at linebacker, either on the strong or weak side of their new 4-3 defense under coordinator Robert Saleh.

NaVorro Bowman’s health is questionable heading into the start of the offseason program after he suffered a torn Achilles in early October. The injury happened on his left leg, the same as his career-altering knee injury that caused him to miss all of 2014.

With Foster now facing scrutiny after his combine incident, on top of being unable to work out in Indianapolis or at Alabama’s pro day, he may be available later in the first round or drop to the second.

The 49ers have the second pick in Round 2 (No. 34 overall), where Foster may be more palatable considering his rough start to the evaluation process.

If the Browns with the first selection pass on defensive end Myles Garrett, widely considered the top prospect available, the decision might be complicated for new general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan if they believe Foster could be available later.

Alabama’s Jonathan Allen or Stanford’s Solomon Thomas would mark the third-straight year San Francisco took a defensive lineman in round one. Receivers Mike Williams (Clemson) or Corey Davis (Western Michigan) might be available midway through the round. The depth of the class at pass rusher could take away value at the position with the second overall selection.

Edge rushers Derek Barnett (Tennessee), Charles Harris (Missouri), Taco Charlton (Michigan) and Takkarist McKinley (UCLA) would all make sense for San Francisco — and could be available between Nos. 10 to 20.

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The quarterback class is considered weak at the top. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock doesn’t believe Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson or DeShone Kizer are worth top-10 selections.

One player who’s likely to gain momentum in the discussion for the 49ers will be Ohio State safety Malik Hooker, who would fit well as a single-high safety akin to Earl Thomas.

The 49ers, after all, want to mimic the Seattle Seahawks scheme that often relies keeping a strong safety in the box and another deep in center field.

And outside of Jimmie Ward, San Francisco lacks a player similar to Thomas. But Ward ended last season with a shoulder injury and might be better off staying at cornerback to preserve his health. He’s missed 13 games over his first three seasons due to foot, quadriceps and shoulder ailments.