49ers 53-man roster prediction with mandatory minicamp in the books
By Peter Panacy
Running back (5)
Kyle Juszczyk, Isaac Guerendo*, Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell
Similar to wide receiver, there's essentially only one spot on the running back depth chart up for grabs.
Kyle Juszczyk and Christian McCaffrey, whose importance to the offense was highlighted by his recent contract extension, are the clear-cut stars, while Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo are vying for key spots in relief of McCaffrey.
Elijah Mitchell, meanwhile, still gets the nod despite a lengthy injury reputation, even if that means he pushes names like Patrick Taylor Jr. and undrafted free-agent Cody Schrader off the 53-man roster.
Taylor, who was signed to help bolster San Francisco's special teams in 2024, carries zero in guaranteed money, so that's fairly easy a choice.
Schrader, who has plenty of promise despite going undrafted, likely winds up being a top practice squad candidate.