No. 1: Running Back Jerick McKinnon
Team Need: 4
Projected Role: 4.5
Traditional Stats: 3.5
Analytical Stats: 4.5
Potential Impact: 5
It’s nearly a tossup between Richard Sherman and the No. 1 player on our top-grab list for the 49ers in 2018, Jerick McKinnon.
Running back turned out to be a pretty big need for San Francisco this offseason, especially after the Niners elected to let their former starting tailback, Carlos Hyde, leave via free agency. Yet Hyde wasn’t exactly a fit under Kyle Shanahan, whereas McKinnon is.
Sure, McKinnon has never been used in a featured role. He never had more than 570 rush yards during his four previous seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, but one can expect that to change under Shanahan in 2018.
McKinnon is both a scheme fit and dynamic pass catcher out of the backfield — two traits that make the free-agent pickup a massive upgrade for the 49ers offense this season.
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And while his traditional stats lessen the overall value a bit, there’s little questioning his potential ability to massively impact the offense, making it much more dynamic.
Pro Football Focus assigned McKinnon an overall grade of 84.5 last year — eighth best among all qualifying running backs. More impressively, though, McKinnon is far more than just an offensive weapon. He received a 74.5 pass-blocking grade too, which ranked ninth among the same qualifiers.
Pretty dynamic.
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What separates McKinnon from Sherman, though, is the probability McKinnon is due for a breakout season and a role that will transform the Niners offense into one of the more potent in the league in 2018.