Niner Noise
FanSided

Breaking down 49ers running back depth chart post-2020 NFL Draft

By Akshaj Dwivedula

Running Back for the San Francisco 49ers Raheem Mostert (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring during Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on February 2, 2020. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Running Back for the San Francisco 49ers Raheem Mostert (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring during Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on February 2, 2020. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Tevin Coleman, 49ers
Tevin Coleman #26 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

RB Bubble

Strong Bubble: Tevin Coleman

Running back Tevin Coleman was the most likely to get cut for cap reasons heading into the draft, but the trade of Matt Breida took care of the immediate cap concern. That doesn’t mean Coleman is safe, though, but it does mean he can rest a bit easy.

Kyle Shanahan had an almost illogical fascination with playing Coleman whenever he could, even if it meant taking away snaps from the more explosive backs on the team. Coleman had a dominating game against the Carolina Panthers during Week 7, but beyond that, he was pretty average.

He did provide sure hands as a receiver out of the backfield, which could give him a utility role on the roster this year and secure his spot. However, I’d argue that even that can be called into question.

Running back Jerick McKinnon, who was signed before the 2018 season, has many of the same skills Coleman carries. His most valuable asset to the 49ers will be his receiving ability. McKinnon also carries a smaller cap hit than Coleman after his restructured contract.

There’s no guarantee McKinnon will be healthy, which is why Coleman is here. But if McKinnon displays the burst and health he had in the past, the 49ers will have a far more interesting decision at hand.

Weak Bubble: Jerick McKinnon, JaMycal Hasty

The biggest question mark for McKinnon is his health. As previously mentioned, he did agree to a reduced contract that takes away a wide majority of the cap concerns regarding him and also releases the 49ers from an obligation to keep him because of his salary. This training camp is an important time for him.

McKinnon has a lot of the same skills as Coleman; I wouldn’t go so far as to call them redundant, but they can fill the same need on a roster. If healthy, McKinnon offers another explosive piece. But there’s just no way to guarantee that, so he stays on the weak bubble. He could easily be cut or be kept; it all depends on his knees.

Former Baylor running back JaMycal Hasty might be the only major surprise on this list, but even then, he really shouldn’t be. Pegged as a late-round pick who fell in the draft to the ranks of undrafted free agency, allowing the 49ers to sign him as a UDFA, Hasty has all the skills necessary to shine in the Shanahan offense.

Hasty was in the 90th percentile for his SPARQ rating, a rating that measures athletic ability, which Shanahan values the most in a running back. Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy wrote about him and detailed his quick-cut ability along with his dual-purpose talent. He may have been undrafted, but his skills make him an easy replacement for Breida and a talented acquisition overall.

I’ll keep him on the weak bubble because of his status in the draft, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Hasty makes a very real impact on the roster this year.