If it wasn’t for his injuries over the last couple of years, Marcus Lattimore would have been a definite first round pick. The San Francisco 49ers took a chance on him in the fourth round and 131st overall pick, but being quite a patient organization, he won’t be rushed, and more likely than not sit out the entire season.

So far, reports of his knee and how its holding up has been positive, but looking back at 2012, LaMichael James, who had no injury problems whatsoever, took his first snap in week 14. Lattimore, who has a long way to go before he’s ready for the NFL and the physical punishment playing in the league brings, will probably wait that amount of time or possibly longer.

At the moment, it seems Lattimore will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. In 2011, his sophomore season with South Carolina, after a very promising start, Lattimore tore a knee ligament (October 15) and was ruled out for the entire season.

Coming back in 2012, Lattimore had another fine start to the season but reportedly tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in a game against Tennessee, although his head coach, Steve Spurrier, said that he dislocated his knee, and will be able to play football again.

He rushed for a total of 2677 yards on 555 carries during his three years of college, scoring 38 touchdowns.