49ers training camp: 5 players off to a hot start in 2020

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Jerick McKinnon #28 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Running Back Jerick McKinnon

Fans only have a small sample of what running back Jerick McKinnon could potentially do in a Niners uniform, and that came in the form of preseason efforts back in 2018 before he tore his ACL and subsequently spent the last two seasons on injured reserve.

McKinnon received a lot of hype during the offseason, and it seems to be justified.

While one-on-one drills during camp only reveal so much, McKinnon has been almost impossible to cover, according to multiple on-field reports, including that from the Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman:

"McKinnon has been a noticeable member of the 49ers’ talented running back group, and has been a tough cover in one-on-one passing drills, as he was before he suffered his knee injury in 2018. He’s shown sign of explosiveness that were a staple of his game during his first training camp with the team two years ago."

And Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn backed this up, saying McKinnon was evading each one of San Francisco’s linebackers.

It also appears as if the 49ers are looking at McKinnon as a potential return man, which would help alleviate the wrist injury suffered by wide receiver Richie James.

But the focus will be on offense, where McKinnon offers a different dimension than returning running backs Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert.