49ers Running Backs
Lock: Kyle Juszczyk (FB), Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price*
Strong Bubble: Trey Sermon, Jeff Wilson Jr.
Weak Bubble: JaMycal Hasty
Long Shot: Josh Hokit (FB), Jordan Mason*
The Niners rightfully took some flak for using their first of two third-round picks on a running back, LSU’s Tyrion Davis-Price, whom many felt wouldn’t be much more than a Round 5 target, and San Francisco surely had other more-pressing needs anyway at that particular spot in the draft.
Davis-Price’s addition, though, shakes up what’s still a questionable depth chart behind second-year man Elijah Mitchell, who nevertheless rushed for 963 yards despite missing six games his rookie year, setting a franchise record for a rookie.
Mitchell’s health is a concern, so perhaps grabbing Davis-Price makes some sense, and it also puts the futures of depth tailbacks like JaMycal Hasty, Jeff Wilson Jr. and second-year pro Trey Sermon into some doubt.
Read More: Are Niners pushing Trey Sermon off the roster with Tyrion Davis-Price?
Yes, including Sermon, the 49ers’ 2021 third-round experiment that hasn’t panned out yet.
However, it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to see the Niners carry five halfbacks on the 53-man roster to help guard against injury, especially in what’s still going to be a run-first offense.
UDFA Jordan Mason might peg himself as a preseason feature only, which is fine, and it sure does stink to be Josh Hokit, Pro Bowler Kyle Juszczyk’s perennial practice squad backup fullback.