Kyle Juszczyk: 49ers fullback’s impact on offense

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk has made his mark with the San Francisco 49ers as an integral offensive piece. With the 2018 regular season fast approaching, let’s discuss his impact and what exactly he brings to the table.

The fullback position generally does not receive much attention, but Kyle Juszczyk certainly gives it more value.

Drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, Juszczyk has quickly become one of the top fullbacks in the NFL. The Harvard product has made the Pro Bowl during the last two seasons, giving him recognition for his high-level play.

The San Francisco 49ers signed Juszczyk to a four-year contract worth $21 million in 2017. Since then, Juszczyk has proven he is worth that amount of money.

Juszczyk has made a tremendous impact on 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Not only does he help in run and pass blocking, Juszczyk is also a key offensive weapon as a runner and a receiver.

With his skill set and athleticism, Juszczyk provides an extra boost to San Francisco’s entire offensive unit. His versatility presents a big challenge to opposing defenses, especially now with the Niners’ much-improved offense heading into the 2018 regular season.

Lead blocker for halfbacks

The first phase in which Juszczyk has been effective is blocking for the 49ers’ running backs. He has shown his ability to clear out rushing lanes and give halfbacks more space and time to move the ball forward.

In 2017, Juszczyk helped former Niners feature back Carlos Hyde accumulate 938 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Additionally, Juszczyk was an integral blocker for undrafted RB Matt Breida, who garnered 465 rushing yards himself.

Niners Wire writer Rob Lowder shared two long runs from Hyde and Breida in which Juszczyk had some key blocks.

In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Juszczyk had a critical block on defensive back Jeremy Lane that led to Hyde’s 61-yard gain:

During the same game, Juszczyk also showed his brute strength against a Seahawks defensive lineman. In this particular play, his big block allowed Breida to get more open space and run further down the field:

Ball carrier in critical situations

Although Juszczyk primarily gets the ball in the passing game, he is often used as a runner during crucial moments. Especially during third-down situations, Juszczyk can plow himself through the trenches and gain the necessary yards.

With his strength and athleticism, Juszczyk has the ability to penetrate through opposing defenses and make plays when they matters most.

For instance, as a member of the Ravens in 2016, Juszczyk scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown to give his former team the lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Here are the highlights of that Week 16 matchup and watch Juszczyk’s touchdown around the 5:30 mark:

Lethal weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo

The entire San Francisco offense is set to give opposing defenses matchup nightmares considering the plethora of weapons Garoppolo has at his disposal. One of those weapons is Juszczyk.

During his first season with the 49ers, Juszczyk totaled 315 receiving yards and one touchdown. He also showed his reliability as a receiver by catching 78.6 percent of the passes thrown at him.

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/28/2018.

Most importantly, Juszczyk showed his playmaking abilities throughout the season. A prime example is his two huge plays against the Houston Texans in Week 14 of the 2017 regular season.

The first play featured Juszczyk running a wheel route and still managing to catch the ball despite having two defenders around him. Afterwards, Juszczyk ran an out route, caught a short pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and ran the ball near the end zone for a big gain.

From what we have seen in 2017, Juszczyk has clearly become a valuable asset to San Francisco. With a better knowledge of Shanahan’s complex offense and Garoppolo as his quarterback, Juszczyk will look to produce even bigger numbers in 2018.

Next: NFL power rankings: Breaking down each division heading into 2018

His versatility as a blocker, runner and receiver makes him one of the most dynamic players in the league. And throughout his career, Juszczyk has proven that fullbacks can still make a huge difference week in and week out.