Niner Noise
FanSided

Predicting 49ers’ 2019 offensive starters with NFL Draft picks

By Peter Panacy

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 09: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers hands the ball off to Alfred Morris #46 in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 09: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers hands the ball off to Alfred Morris #46 in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 04: Running back Tevin Coleman #26 of the Atlanta Falcons runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 4, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 04: Running back Tevin Coleman #26 of the Atlanta Falcons runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 4, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Running Back

Halfback: Tevin Coleman

Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk

Another position of intrigue and speculation, only it certainly is possible Kyle Shanahan keeps four running backs — Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert — on the 53-man roster this year.

Mostert, a special teams ace, likely doesn’t figure into the offense much. As far as the other three go, however, it gets interesting.

McKinnon, one of the 49ers’ prized free-agent pickups in 2018, is still working on the recovery from his ACL tear a year ago. That could cut into his readiness for this season, but it’s hard to say, currently. Breida, who managed an impressive 5.3 yards per carry a year ago (fourth best in the NFL), is a solid choice. But speculation might lead one to believe Shanahan preserves him a bit more than he did in 2018, saving him as a situational back.

What makes Coleman the clear-cut starting winner here is his 2016 rapport with Shanahan — a year in which he had 941 all-purpose yards and thrived in Shanahan’s system with the Atlanta Falcons.

Simply put, Shanahan has a shiny new toy on the ground in Coleman, and he’ll use it.

Don’t let the starting job get in the way of predictions, however, as the 49ers assuredly will balance out carries and targets out of the backfield.