SF 49ers: 5 moves John Lynch can make to help salvage 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: SF 49ers must promote JaMycal Hasty off practice squad
Raheem Mostert wasn’t the only running back injured in Week 2’s victory. Fellow tailback Tevin Coleman also suffered an injury and will likely be out multiple weeks.
Both Mostert and Coleman are expected back, hopefully sooner than later. But the attrition at this vital position for head coach Kyle Shanahan is already being felt, essentially leaving runners Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson as the only two healthy names on the current 53-man roster.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Mostert sidelined on short-term injured reserve, meaning there would be an open roster spot.
And the undrafted rookie, JaMycal Hasty, should fill it.
Hasty, who impressed in training camp yet ultimately lost the battle to Wilson as San Francisco’s No. 4 rusher, is the perfect scatback for Shanahan’s offense. Hasty’s multi-cut abilities and short-burst speed is something worth looking at during games. At 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds, he’s a tough tackle.
And don’t overlook Hasty’s value in the receiving game. Last season at Baylor, he managed 25 receptions for 184 yards.
Hasty would likely play a second- or even third-fiddle role on the depth chart behind McKinnon and Wilson while Mostert and Coleman are rehabbing. But the rookie’s upside could be explosive enough to warrant keeping him around longer if his impact is positively felt.