Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Biggest Winners & Losers from the 2017 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Solomon Thomas (Stanford) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Solomon Thomas (Stanford) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 11
Next
Dec 4, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) takes the field before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) takes the field before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Running Back Carlos Hyde

Earlier this offseason, general manager John Lynch hinted at the notion he wasn’t entirely convinced No. 1 running back Carlos Hyde would be the answer for San Francisco’s ground game moving forward.

Hyde, the one-time heir apparent to Frank Gore, has yet to crest 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He came close last year, missing the mark by a mere 12 yards, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented Hyde from truly becoming an offensive bell cow.

San Francisco added a number of free-agent tailbacks this offseason, including veteran runner Tim Hightower.

But the NFL Draft provided a deep crop of running backs as well, and the Niners didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on former Utah tailback Joe Williams in Round 4.

More from Niner Noise

Williams comes with some durability and dedication questions. But there’s one attribute to his game that can’t be overlooked — speed.

Keep in mind, head coach Kyle Shanahan prefers having multiple running backs capable of shouldering the load. If anything, Williams is similar to the kind of runner Shanahan had with the Atlanta Falcons in Tevin Coleman. Maybe even better.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see Williams take off, especially in a zone scheme.

Next: Recapping the 49ers' Actions in the 2017 NFL Draft

And it wouldn’t be overly surprising to see Williams eventually surpass Hyde on the depth chart either.