49ers roster: 5 new faces who make biggest impact in 2022
By Peter Panacy
New 49ers player No. 4: Running back Tyrion Davis-Price
Another rookie the 49ers brought aboard via the 2022 NFL Draft, former LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price was a bit of a shocker towards the tail end of Round 3. Particularly in light of head coach Kyle Shanahan frequently using the later rounds or undrafted free agency to find running back talent in recent years.
That said, there’s a reason why Davis-Price was the pick. For starters, Shanahan needs to lessen the ground load on Deebo Samuel, letting him serve more as a wide receiver than a “wide back,” and the added reality of presumed No. 1 running back Elijah Mitchell having a significant injury history stemming from his own rookie season is a cause for concern, too.
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On top of that, the Niners weren’t particularly great on short-yardage rushing situations last season, averaging just 2.7 yards per rush attempt on third downs a year ago.
The 6-foot-1, 219-pound Davis-Price figures to help that metric, and he’s a tough tackle anyway.
Plus, Shanahan has had a preference of deploying bigger-bodied running backs earlier in games to test out opposing defenses and weaknesses, then opening up the door for faster tailbacks like Mitchell later in games, something that was on display back in 2019 when former San Francisco running back Tevin Coleman would frequently start before giving way to the faster, more elusive Raheem Mostert.
Perhaps that’s how Davis-Price makes his impact felt right away.