The 49ers entered the 2022 NFL season expecting to roll with Elijah Mitchell as their starting running back. That didn’t last long.
Mitchell was hurt during San Francisco’s opening-week loss against the Bears. He suffered a knee injury that landed him on IR and will keep him out for at least half of the season.
This was nothing new for the 49ers. They lost Raheem Mostert in Week 1 of the 2021 campaign, so they were ready to entrust their backups to carry the load with Mitchell out of action.
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However, the team’s depth chart quickly thinned out. Rookie third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price, who was expected to be one of the team’s top two backs with Mitchell out, suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2. He is expected to be out a couple of weeks due to that injury.
With Mitchell and Davis-Price out of action and 2021 third-round pick Trey Sermon now in Philadelphia, many will wonder exactly what the 49ers have left at running back. There are a few recognizable names available who Kyle Shanahan should be able to turn into quality starters in his running back-friendly offensive scheme.
Here’s a breakdown of San Francisco’s running back depth chart, which is headlined by a player who has long been with the team.
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49ers RB depth chart
1. Jeff Wilson Jr.
Wilson Jr. has been with the 49ers since he signed with them as an undrafted free agent out of North Texas in 2018. He spent time on the practice squad in the early stages of his career but made the roster as Mitchell’s top backup in 2022.
Wilson has largely worked as a backup, handling 79 or fewer carries in three of his first four seasons. However, in 2020, he saw a career-high 126 carries and generated 600 yards and seven touchdowns. So, he can been effective in more significant action. He should get that with Mitchell out.
Entering Week 3, Wilson had racked up 106 yards on 27 carries for the 49ers. In his start against the Seahawks, he had 18 carries for 84 yards, good for a 4.7 yards per carry average.
2. Jordan Mason
While Wilson’s name will be familiar to some, Mason’s likely won’t. He has taken a similar path to Wilson, as he signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Georgia Tech, but he managed to make the roster as a rookie. He beat out Sermon for a roster spot despite the Ohio State product’s high-end draft pedigree in 2021.
Mason was a rotational back at Georgia Tech, racking up 2,349 yards and 17 touchdowns on 449 carries over four seasons. He had a strong preseason, racking up 94 yards on 19 carries, and that was enough to pique the interest of Shanahan, who has a history of turning unheralded backs into strong starters and role players.
Mason will likely serve as Wilson’s backup, and he could see significant action. Shanahan loves to use multiple backs in his offense, and Davis-Price had 14 carries compared to Wilson’s 18 in Week 2. Mason may not see that many carries in what could be a closer game, but he will at least get a chance to tote the rock.
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3. Marlon Mack
The 49ers needed some extra running back depth after Mitchell was hurt. They signed Mack after trying out a handful of veterans, and he should dress as the team’s No. 3 running back as long as Mitchell and Davis-Price are out.
Mack was a fourth-round pick by the Colts in 2017 and had a 1,000-yard season in 2019. He was a solid two-year starter for Indy but he tore his Achilles in 2020. Since then, he has struggled to get on-field opportunities, as the Colts moved onto Jonathan Taylor while Mack failed to make the Texans roster during the 2022 offseason.
Though Mack has lost a bit of his luster, he still has averaged 4.4 yards per carry for his career. If healthy, he could regain the form that made him a good starter for the Colts, so San Francisco’s investment in him seems like a smart one.
4. Tevin Coleman
Coleman is currently on the 49ers’ practice squad, so he may not dress against the Broncos. He was signed to provide more veteran depth in a scheme with which he is familiar.
Coleman was a third-round pick by the Falcons in 2015 and has been a rotational back for most of his career. He has never totaled more than 800 rushing yards in a season but his 4.2 yards per carry average is respectable.
Coleman played under Shanahan during his first two years with the Falcons and then joined his former coordinator in San Francisco in 2019 and 2020. He was with the Jets last year but now returns to the 49ers to provide a big body (6-1, 210 pounds) for the running back room.
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Will Deebo Samuel help fill the 49ers’ void at running back?
The 49ers used Samuel — their do-it-all weapon at receiver — at the running back position late in the 2021 NFL season and in the playoffs. It was a successful strategy, as Samuel has a thick build (6-0, 216 pounds) and is good with the ball in his hands.
As such, many are wondering if Samuel will become more involved with the running game considering the injuries with which the 49ers are dealing.
It stands to reason that the 49ers will look to get Samuel a handful of carries. He had 12 combined during the team’s first two contests, and that included an eight-carry, 52-yard outing against the Bears in Week 1.
That said, eight represents more of Samuel’s carry ceiling than his floor. He never logged more than eight carries during the regular season last year, and it’s likely that the 49ers will try to limit his usage between the tackles. Why? So he doesn’t take too many big hits early in the season.
Long story short, Samuel will be involved in the running game. But he isn’t likely to be the full-out backup behind Wilson; Shanahan will probably give Wilson and Mason plenty of carries to ensure that he doesn’t overwork Samuel.
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