Trey Lance’s ideal 49ers 7-round mock 2022 NFL Draft

Round 7, Pick No. 262 Overall (Compensatory): Trey Lance has 49ers select RB Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma

On the surface, San Francisco doesn’t need another running back. It already has second-year pro Elijah Mitchell poised to start in 2022, fellow 2021 rookie Trey Sermon looking to make a leap, veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. back in the fold and scatback JaMycal Hasty vying for touches.

At the same time, though, Trey Lance knows head coach Kyle Shanahan’s knack of finding late-round gems at the position, Mitchell being the most recent example. And with the need to infuse more talent at the back end of the depth chart, perhaps upgrading over Wilson and Hasty, it wouldn’t be shocking whatsoever if the 49ers grabbed yet another tailback towards the very end of the draft.

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In this mock, the Niners make Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks “Mr. Irrelevant,” the final selection of the NFL Draft.

Brooks, 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds, isn’t a burner. But he’s stout enough for short-yardage carries, and his ability to work within an outside-zone system would make him a better fit for Shanahan’s offense. Rushing for 1,253 yards and averaging 6.3 yards per carry last season, Brooks is capable of shouldering a big load and making would-be tacklers miss in the process.

If anything, Lance wouldn’t mind having yet another viable option to supplement the ground game.