Fooch's Update: Ward spoke with the media Thursday night and said he thinks he'll be cleared to get out on the field and run around in the next two or three weeks.

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Jimmie Ward Thursday evening, and one important bit of information is that the Northern Illinois safety had foot surgery on March 11. Ward suffered a Jones fracture to his foot, which kept him from working out at the combine. He had a screw put in on March 11, and there is no specific word yet on his recovery timeline. The fracture was apparently a bit of a surprise for Ward, showing up during his medical exams at the Combine.

I spoke with socalisteph to get a few thoughts on Jones fractures. She said she actually suffered one, and it is not a huge deal. A Jones fracture comes from having a high arch, which puts stress on the fifth metatarsal. There is some concern about potentially breaking the bone again, but given that the 49ers would not have overlooked this kind of injury, they have to be comfortable with his situation.

The downside to the injury is that it could cost him some or all of the on-field portion of the offseason workout program. That puts him at a bit of a disadvantage heading into training camp, from a physical perspective. The school finished their finals earlier today, so Ward is free and clear to join the 49ers for all activities. While he might miss out on some of the physical stuff, I'm sure they'll get him doing all the classroom work ASAP.

In case you're even more curious about Jones fractures, I found some quick video on it.