Niner Noise
FanSided

Power ranking the 49ers’ running backs in 2019 before training camp

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 23: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes with the ball against the Chicago Bears during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 23: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes with the ball against the Chicago Bears during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball 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: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball 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) /

2. team. 42. . NFL Experience: 2 Years. . Matt Breida

A year ago, Matt Breida was vying for depth positioning with Alfred Morris behind Jerick McKinnon.

By season’s end, Breida was the bona fide No. 1 option for the 49ers ground game, averaging 5.3 yards per rush, which ranked fourth best among qualifiers, and even recording the league’s fastest speed during all of 2018.

Not bad for an undrafted free agent. Not bad at all.

Breida might be San Francisco’s best pure running back, and he was able to add pass catching to his skill set during the year, too. That said, Breida seemingly appeared on the team’s weekly injury report, and it’s not out of the question to suggest he’s not built to be an every-down tailback.

Still, while Breida will likely see his use drop a bit when compared to last year, he’ll likely end up being a valuable part of Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Prediction for 2019

There was a good chance Breida would close in on 1,000 rush yards in 2018. Ultimately, however, injuries and other factors led to him finishing with just 814 yards, which still isn’t bad considering the circumstances.

Given Breida’s speed, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him rip off huge chunks of yardage in 2019, potentially coming close to last year’s totals once more.

That said, however, his use will likely decrease in an attempt to keep him fresh for any prospective late-season push by San Francisco.