49ers film room: Fullback Kyle Juszczyk in Kyle Shanahan’s passing offense
By Chris Wilson
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk is head coach Kyle Shanahan’s newest offensive weapon. How have Shanahan’s previous offenses schemed for the fullback position?
The San Francisco 49ers recently signed fullback Kyle Juszczyk to a four-year, $21 million contract, making him the league’s highest-paid fullback by a wide margin.
Given NFL fullbacks are a dying breed, the 49ers’ deal raised a few eyebrows, even after the details of the contract revealed it was team-friendly after the first year.
However, there is a silver lining to the Niners’ signing; Juszczyk is generally regarded as the best fullback in the league, with an 87.9 overall rating in 2016 by Pro Football Focus.
Juszczyk rarely rushes the ball — he has only seven carries in his career — but he is a skilled receiver. In 2016, he had twice as many receptions as the next fullback in the league.
Due to his receiving skills, and his proficiency as a pass blocker, he has been the Baltimore Ravens’ go-to running back in long-yardage shotgun situations.
Juszczyk is a type of offensive weapon — or “OW” if you ask general manager John Lynch — that is new to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan’s offenses use a fullback more often than other teams, but primarily in running situations on base downs.
During his time with the Atlanta Falcons, Shanahan’s FB was Patrick DiMarco, who is one of the better fullbacks in the league; PFF rated him the fourth best FB in 2016. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2015, but he has his physical limitations, including a 40-yard dash time of 4.91 seconds.
It will be interesting to see how Shanahan, who loves throwing to his running backs, utilizes his new OW in San Francisco. Let’s take a look at how his previous offenses schemed for the fullback in the passing game.