49ers depth chart: 5 dark-horse players who can steal a roster spot

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Running back JaMycal Hasty #23 from Baylor of the North Team (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

49ers Depth Chart No. 1: Running Back JaMycal Hasty

San Francisco’s running back room is awfully crowded, even after trading away Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins earlier this offseason and waiving undrafted free-agent runner Salvon Ahmed, who was also claimed by Miami, just days ago.

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Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon are all essentially guaranteed spots on the running back depth chart, and that’s fine. The question then becomes whether or not Kyle Shanahan uses four halfbacks on his roster like he did a year ago.

Considering the 49ers had the No. 2 rush offense in the league last year, one would assume four is the number again.

That would leave the fourth and final spot up for grabs between tailbacks Jeff Wilson and another undrafted rookie, Baylor’s JaMycal Hasty.

Hasty was surely a player to watch in camp, and he’s been exciting enough. A 5-foot-8, 205-pound scatback, Hasty isn’t just a one-cut player. His low frame and multi-cut abilities make for a tough tackle, and he also made his mark as a legitimate option in the receiving game. While Hasty’s pass-blocking abilities aren’t particularly great, one could reason he stands to be the perfect backup to McKinnon, who is coming off a two-year absence due to a 2018 ACL tear.

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Another possible reason is Hasty might not be likely to survive being waived and placed on the Niners practice squad without being claimed, meaning San Francisco would have to keep him on the regular-season 49ers depth chart for him to hang around and make an impact.