San Francisco 49ers: 5 UDFAs with best chance to make 53-man roster
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers Running Back Salvon Ahmed
Matt Breida was one of the latest examples how head coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff can identify and develop running back talent either late in the NFL Draft or even after it.
Breida is gone, though, traded to the Miami Dolphins in the middle of the draft, which opened up another spot on the 53-man roster. Yet that is likely to be filled by the return of veteran running back Jerick McKinnon from a two-year stint on injured reserve.
McKinnon, Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. all stand above one of the 49ers’ other UDFA additions, Washington running back Salvon Ahmed, who’ll have to outperform at least one of those veteran players by a significant margin in order to make the cut.
But there are a number of likable reasons why this could happen.
Ahmed, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry last year for the Huskies, ran a lowly 4.62 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine, which probably influenced him going undrafted. Yet there are reports he had a hand-timed 4.32 40-yard time previously.
If that speed shows up in training camp, Ahmed might be too good for Shanahan to overlook.