SANTA CLARA – At one point, Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil was considered in play for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
But after the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles moved into the top two spots to select quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, Tunsil still did not figure to fall too far in the draft.
But those hopes went up in a cloud of smoke on Thursday when a video surfaced on his verified Twitter account that apparently shows Tunsil taking bong hits while wearing a gas mask.
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Tunsil was generally regarded as the top offensive tackle available in the draft. Yet, when the Baltimore Ravens targeted a lineman, they selected Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley at the No. 6 overall spot. The Ravens took Tunsil completely off their draft board after the video surfaced, reported Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network.
The 49ers figured to be in the market for an offensive tackle with the next selection. While it’s unclear if the 49ers would have selected Tunsil ahead of Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, it seems the decision became easier.
General manager Trent Baalke said Thursday evening the 49ers knew about the 30-second video before the start of the draft.
“Well, I think every team is aware of the video,” Baalke said. “We factor in everything. So whether you get that information late in the process or you get it early in the process, it’s all factored in.”
Tunsil’s tumble down the draft ended when the Miami Dolphins selected him with the No. 13 overall pick. Stanley, as the No. 6 pick, will make approximately $8 million more over the span of their four-year contracts. Stanley’s maximum signing bonus will be $6.6 million more than Tunsil’s maximum.
