San Francisco 49ers: Post-Super Bowl 54 7-round mock NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Running Back. Horned Frogs . Darius Anderson. 191. player. 872.
Kyle Shanahan is more than capable of identifying and developing less-heralded running backs who slip in the NFL Draft.
Running backs Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida are prime examples of this, especially considering the team inherited Mostert and turned him into an offensive star, while the undrafted Breida ended up being a key part of the 49ers offense the past two years.
The position might not appear to be a huge need entering 2020, but that assumption is misleading. Veteran running back Tevin Coleman is due nearly $5 million this upcoming season, but with zero in guaranteed money. It’s a possible move, at least financially, the Niners move on from him.
Breida also fell out of favor down the stretch, while fellow runner Jerick McKinnon has missed the last two seasons with a knee injury and could also be a cap casualty.
If elusiveness and the ability to read holes in the defense is what Shanahan prizes in running backs, TCU’s Darius Anderson is a great late-round find.
Anderson, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, isn’t going to be a bruiser at the NFL level. But as far as quick explosiveness after finding a lane goes, he’s more than capable. He also offers up solid pass-catching abilities, too, making him a good fit in Shanahan’s dynamic offense.