Niner Noise
FanSided

Predicting 10 players who make 49ers practice squad in 2019

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 09: A San Francisco 49ers player carries his helmet before their game against the Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park on December 9, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 09: A San Francisco 49ers player carries his helmet before their game against the Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park on December 9, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – AUGUST 25: Austin Walter #2 of the Rice Owls celebrates after a touchdown in the fourth quarter as Jaylen Harris #23 of the Prairie View A&M Panthers reacts at Rice Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – AUGUST 25: Austin Walter #2 of the Rice Owls celebrates after a touchdown in the fourth quarter as Jaylen Harris #23 of the Prairie View A&M Panthers reacts at Rice Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

No. 3: Running Back Austin Walter

In 2017, Kyle Shanahan and his staff managed to find running back Matt Breida as an undrafted free agent.

A year later, Breida was a starter and ended up averaging 5.3 yards per carry on the season — good enough for fourth best in the league among qualifiers.

Simply put, Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner have a pretty good knack for identifying tailbacks late in the draft or on the open rookie market. This year, Rice’s Austin Walter could be the guy.

Walter had an impressive 1,089 all-purpose yards for the Owls last season, showcasing his prowess as both a rusher and pass-catching option out of the backfield. Those are traits Shanahan prefers from his tailbacks.

San Francisco already has a deep crop of running backs heading towards the regular season, meaning Walter doesn’t stand much of a chance making the 53-man roster.

As a developmental piece, though, Walter should be worth keeping into 2019.