This 49ers 2022 NFL Draft pick is most likely to go bust

The 49ers added a lot of depth to the roster during the 2022 NFL Draft. But adding another running back in the third round was a head-scratcher.

The San Francisco 49ers decided to use a third-round pick on a running back again, selecting LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price with the 93rd pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Davis-Price led the LSU Tigers in carries last season as a junior, rushing for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. And while Davis-Price is a bruiser, weighing 223 pounds while also having 4.48 speed, he’s not the flashiest running back out of the draft class, but he excels at creating contact and running guys over.

Yes, Davis-Price has some intriguing attributes, yet this pick for the Niners felt like a huge head-scratcher.

Why are the 49ers spending high draft capital on another running back similar to Trey Sermon?

This pick feels a lot like the Sermon fiasco all over again after he was selected in Round 3 a year ago but saw only 167 rush yards his rookie season. The Niners were sold on the idea of bringing in a bigger back who excels at creating contact, but Sermon failed to excite during training camp and was on the bottom of the depth chart.

Ty Davis-Price potential 49ers draft bust?

Out of all the 49ers’ draft selections, Davis-Price looks like the most likely to be a bust. Perhaps head coach Kyle Shanahan fell in love with the idea of Davis-Price more than his actual production and talent as a prospect.

Still, selecting Davis-Price in the third round was questionable, considering most draft analysts didn’t have him ranked as a top-10 running back in the class, and San Francisco drafted him as the fifth running back taken.

Davis-Price wasn’t ranked highly by many NFL Draft analysts either. Many figured he was probably a day-three pick. Additionally, Davis-Price didn’t exactly have a lot of collegiate production either, only starting one season for LSU.

Selecting a running back in the third round who has limited collegiate production and isn’t a pass-catcher seems like a massive mistake by the organization for the second year in a row. Instead, the rookie figures to be a rotation piece to the backfield, and with other alarming needs the Niners had, this pick feels like a mistake.

Read More: Breaking down 49ers’ selection of Tyrion Davis-Price in 2022 NFL Draft

While he caught 28 passes throughout his college career at LSU, Davis-Price isn’t someone who will be massively involved in the passing game. OK, so he can catch passes when thrown to, but he isn’t a running back who will be a massive threat for his team in this regard.

In order to justify spending another third-round draft pick on a running back, Davis-Price will need to become an impact player for San Francisco on offense. There is a possibility that happens, but the reality is this draft selection could go down the same way as Sermon did for the 49ers last season.

With glaring needs at center position and within the secondary, spending a third-round pick on a potential rotational running back could be a massive mistake for the Niners in 2022.