SF 49ers: 5 backups who’ll be starters by end of 2020 season
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: SF 49ers Running Back Jerick McKinnon
Injuries, health and a fresh stable of running backs could influence why halfback Jerick McKinnon rises up the ranks from being a third-down back into a starter.
Granted, whoever is named the “starter” in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s running back room is done in name only, as Shanahan never shies away from going with a rotation, relying heavily on the situation and whoever might be hottest.
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After three weeks and while dealing with a knee injury, running back Tevin Coleman, who started 11 games last year, is rushing for just 1.7 yards per carry on 30 attempts. True, Shanahan likes to use Coleman early in games to test opposing defenses, and Coleman’s pass-blocking skills are arguably the best out of the other options on the roster, including McKinnon.
Yet McKinnon, who currently leads the Niners with three all-purpose touchdowns, is more explosive and versatile, a better option at doing Coleman-like things the latter used to execute back when both he and Shanahan were with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.
Raheem Mostert is unquestionably San Francisco’s best running back and will likely finish the year as Shanahan’s leading rusher.
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But as far as starts go, McKinnon is the best option to overtake Coleman. The former should rise up the depth chart and assume a starting role.