49ers roster bubble watch with 2023 NFL Draft in the books
By Peter Panacy
49ers roster bubble watch: Running back
Lock: Kyle Juszczyk, Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell
Strong bubble: Tyrion Davis-Price, Jordan Mason
Weak bubble: Ronald Awatt*, Khalan Laborn*
Long shot: Jack Colletto*
There's a decent amount of drama that'll play out at running back between now and Week 1. Aside from fullback Kyle Juszczyk, along with halfbacks Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, the entire depth chart is fluid and could potentially make an impact.
Especially considering Kyle Shanahan's knack for finding hidden-gem undrafted free-agent tailbacks who make a difference. Last year, it was Jordan Mason. This year, it could be either Ronald Awatt out of UTEP or Khalan Laborn out of Marhsall.
Either player thriving would be bad news for second-year pro Tyrion Davis-Price, who was scantly used his rookie season after the 49ers took him with a third-round pick in the 2022 draft.
Davis-Price could potentially go the same route as another failed third-round pick, Trey Sermon, who was off the Niners roster after his unimpressive rookie year.
Those are all depth decisions, though. McCaffrey and Mitchell will be the leaders out of the backfield, assuming both can stay healthy and in tandem for a change.