49ers depth chart: Predicting 5 surprise adds to 53-man roster in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers Running Back Salvon Ahmed
Another undrafted free agent, former Washington running back Salvon Ahmed doesn’t have the benefit of joining an overwhelmingly large crop of tailbacks on San Francisco’s offseason roster. Now with Raheem Mostert having agreed to a new deal, Ahmed will be competing with him, Tevin Coleman, JaMycal Hasty, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson for one of no more than four spots by the time Week 1 rolls around.
It’s likely a player like Ahmed, who had one explosive season with the Huskies only, is targeted for the practice squad in year one. But there are a number of reasons why Ahmed makes the cut.
For starters, there are some similarities between Ahmed and a player he’s essentially replacing, now-Miami Dolphins running back Matt Breida. It’s almost as if the 49ers are hoping Ahmed can develop into a Breida-type player with speed to burn.
On top of that, the Niners may not have too much of a need for Wilson any longer, and the shifting roster size could warrant head coach Kyle Shanahan to load up on additional running backs by Week 1.
Especially if McKinnon, returning from a two-year injury absence, is a little slow to get things going out of training camp.
Ahmed is still a dark-horse candidate, but there’s a path for him to make the cut this September.