49ers depth chart: 4 backups who see increased roles in 2021

49ers depth chart: Jeff Wilson Jr. a RB2

The Niners should have featured running back Jeff Wilson Jr. a whole lot more last season.

In two of his three starts, Wilson rushed well above 100 yards, and most could easily argue he was the reason San Francisco pulled off impressive victories over the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals last year.

Oh, and Wilson actually led the 49ers with 600 rush yards and had a team-high 10 touchdowns, too.

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Some likely changes are going to put Wilson into a more favorable situation this year. Runners Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon, both unrestricted free agents, aren’t likely to return in 2021, leaving Wilson, Raheem Mostert, JaMycal Hasty and Austin Walter as the only current options to round out San Francisco’s halfback room.

The latter two are still developmental role players, and Mostert has an unfortunate injury history as of late. Even with Mostert fully healthy, it’s not as if Kyle Shanahan relies solely on a bell-cow running back. No, he goes with a rotation.

This should mean one obvious move: Wilson will see an expanded role this season.

Based on his limited-yet-impressive production in such a role a year ago, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest Wilson will thrive as a result.