San Francisco 49ers: Who is running back Kapri Bibbs?
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s “who is?” continues taking a look at San Francisco 49ers players in 2017. In this article, we take a look at running back Kapri Bibbs.
The San Francisco 49ers added to their logjam at running back by trading for former Denver Broncos tailback Kapri Bibbs on day three of the 2017 NFL Draft.
This move, which sent Bibbs and a fifth-round pick to the Niners, cost general manager John Lynch a 2018 fourth-round selection.
Bibbs, an undrafted free agent, saw limited action with the Broncos in 2016. Over the course of 12 games, the 24 year old averaged 4.4 yards on 29 carries:
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/12/2017.
Chances are low Bibbs winds up making the 53-man roster, although he may be able to contribute on special teams to a small extent. He has returned five kicks over his NFL career.
But let’s take a look at what’s on tap for this season.
San Francisco 49ers
Why He’ll Improve
Lynch likely saw something with Bibbs, and it’s not hard to see the connection between San Francisco’s general manager and the Broncos.
Who knows how much this plays into Bibbs’ role this upcoming season, if he even makes the roster at all. But at least the 5-foot-9, 212-pound tailback adds some insurance to a position marked with questions.
Carlos Hyde remains the team’s No. 1 running back. Perhaps rookie Joe Williams is his only legitimate threat, but the only real competition here is for depth-chart order.
Included in this crowded mix are Williams, Bibbs, Tim Hightower and Matt Breida.
Bibbs has never started, but he does possess solid vision and cutback ability, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. This could help him be a fit in an outside-zone scheme, which the Niners will run this season.
Why He’ll Regress
Bibbs has never shouldered much of a load at the NFL level. This is either a good or bad thing, since the wear and tear on his body isn’t present.
But it also means he doesn’t have what it takes to handle a bona fide role during the regular season. Remember, Denver had plenty of its own tailback-injury issues last season. And Bibbs was never given a chance to start.
He’s also not much of a pass catcher, which negates a further use in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
So it’s possible Bibbs is little more than a camp body to absorb some of the rigors of the position until Week 1 commences.
What to Expect in 2017
Right now, Bibbs is a long shot to make the regular-season roster.
An early projection would have Hyde, Williams and Hightower assuming the three open spots at halfback. There’s a chance the Niners keep one more, especially if special teams are involved, so Bibbs has a shot here.
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It wouldn’t be a shock to see San Francisco use Bibbs in a regular role during preseason action, much like they did with former 49ers tailback Mike Davis a year ago. Davis hardly saw the field during the regular season but managed a team-best 148 preseason rushing yards.
This is an important role, if not exactly glorious. Teams often feature lesser-known backs during these exhibition games for obvious reasons.
Next: 49ers 2017 offseason review, grades and analysis
So maybe this winds up being Bibbs’ chance to prove himself to some team, somewhere.