SF 49ers NFL Draft: 7-round non-quarterback mock for 2021
By Peter Panacy
Round 7, Pick No. 236 Overall: SF 49ers select running back Michael Carter, North Carolina
838. . Running Back. Tar Heels . Michael Carter. 236. player
With their final pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the SF 49ers again do something they’ve been known to do: find a hidden-gem running back late in the rounds or as an undrafted free agent.
In this case, Kyle Shanahan tabs the 5-foot-8 dual-threat rusher out of North Carolina, Michael Carter.
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2017 | North Carolina | ACC | FR | RB | 11 | 97 | 559 | 5.8 | 8 | 11 | 100 | 9.1 | 1 | 108 | 659 | 6.1 | 9 |
| 2018 | North Carolina | ACC | SO | RB | 9 | 84 | 597 | 7.1 | 2 | 25 | 135 | 5.4 | 1 | 109 | 732 | 6.7 | 3 |
| *2019 | North Carolina | ACC | JR | RB | 13 | 177 | 1003 | 5.7 | 3 | 21 | 154 | 7.3 | 2 | 198 | 1157 | 5.8 | 5 |
| 2020 | North Carolina | ACC | SR | RB | 9 | 124 | 864 | 7.0 | 4 | 22 | 252 | 11.5 | 2 | 146 | 1116 | 7.6 | 6 |
| Career | North Carolina | 482 | 3023 | 6.3 | 17 | 79 | 641 | 8.1 | 6 | 561 | 3664 | 6.5 | 23 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 12/2/2020.
Running back is a sneaky need for San Francisco this offseason. Already in 2020, the team lost rushers Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Jeff Wilson Jr. and JaMycal Hasty to injuries. And with Coleman and fellow tailback Jerick McKinnon unrestricted free agents next season, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Niners bulk up this position late in the draft once again.
Carter has a low center of gravity like Hasty, thanks to their short and heavy frames, which makes for a tough tackle.
Plus Carter has above-average one-cut abilities and never shies away from fighting for extra yards after the first contact. He might not win any footraces like Mostert, but Carter can hold his own with second-level speed.
Going this route would allow the SF 49ers to maintain a solid depth of versatile tailbacks with a varying degree of skills to offer.
Next. 49ers' 15 best draft-day steals of all time. dark
The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 29.