49ers NFL Draft 2021: Ranking the final 4 top needs
By Peter Panacy
49ers NFL Draft Need No. 3: Running Back
It might seem like a bit of a luxury pick, but it wouldn’t be overly shocking to see the Niners add a running back early in this year’s NFL Draft despite Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner typically turning to the later rounds, or even adding undrafted free agents, to bolster this crop.
True, San Francisco has four running backs rostered already: Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty and Austin Walter. But none are signed beyond 2021, meaning some onboarding could take place earlier than usual.
Plus, the bigger factor here could be health. Just take a look at the number of games missed by the aforementioned runners on injured reserve last season:
- Raheem Mostert: 7
- Jeff Wilson Jr.: 3
- JaMycal Hasty: 6
Mostert dealt with a myriad of injuries, while Wilson suffered a serious high-ankle sprain. Hasty also tore his ACL.
Plus, with Mostert turning 29 years old recently, there’s going to be a need to lessen his workload while guarding against further injury attrition.
Getting some youth infused into the lineup would be a wise move.