SF 49ers: 3 reasons Jerick McKinnon breaks out in 2020

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Jerick McKinnon #31 of the Minnesota Vikings (Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Jerick McKinnon’s Pass-Catching Abilities will Help SF 49ers

A big piece of McKinnon’s game that likely made him an attractive candidate for Shanahan was his pass-catching abilities out of the backfield. Every season he played with Minnesota he made improvements year over year in his yards receiving numbers.

In 2017, the last season he appeared on the field in, McKinnon had 51 receptions for 421 yards receiving and two touchdowns. That put him in the top 15 for yards receiving among running backs. That is even more impressive when considering he was the No. 2 back behind Latavius Murray that season.

Shanahan values backs who can make plays in the passing game just as much as they can in the running game. McKinnon has shown in the past he can be a threat in the passing game, so with an expanded role in the SF 49ers offense, he should be able to showcase those skills.