It is one of the more frustrating patterns of the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era — the 49ers spend a relatively high pick on a running back, they struggle for playing time and they inevitably move on. However, entering the 2026 season, there is reason for optimism that this could be the year that Shanahan’s commitment to investing draft capital in the running back position bears fruit.
In the first four years of the Shanahan-Lynch regime, the 49ers only spent one draft pick on a back, doing so in their first year in 2017 when they took Joe Williams in the fourth round. Williams never played a snap.
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But since 2021, the 49ers have spent six draft picks on the position, the latest being a third-round selection used on Kaelon Black this year.
Most of those picks have had limited success, though Elijah Mitchell led the 49ers in rushing as a rookie in 2021 before injuries derailed his progress with the team over subsequent seasons.
Trey Sermon, a third-round pick that same year, lasted only one season, while 2023 third-rounder Tyrion Davis-Price’s career with the team was similarly short-lived. After encouraging signs in his rookie season, 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo could soon see his time as a 49er come to an end, but the two most recent running back selections by the 49ers offer hope that Shanahan and San Francisco could be vindicated in continuing to throw draft resources at that area of the roster.
Black and James provide reason for hope
The 49ers need backs who can take some of the pressure off the now 30-year-old Christian McCaffrey, who has dealt with ‘tightness’ for much of training camp and preseason.
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And both Black and 2025 fifth-round pick James have provided evidence they are ready to do just that.
Black rushed for 61 yards on 12 carries in preseason, an average of just over five yards a carry, but even more intriguing is the play he demonstrated in pass protection. If a younger back is going to eat into McCaffrey’s snaps, they must be able to hold up in pass protection, and the 49ers’ faith in Black’s ability to do so should be boosted following preseason.
James did not earn any carries as a rookie until the 49ers’ blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs.
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Having fractured his ribs on the second day of training camp, James’ only appearance of preseason came on Thursday as the Niners rounded off their exhibition schedule against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he gave San Francisco reason for encouragement.
James displayed nice burst to the second level and contact balance on a 17-yard run that accounted for the bulk of his 35 yards on eight carriers, and he also demonstrated his abilities as a pass-catcher on a well-designed screen pass that went for 20 yards.
“It was good to see him out there,” Shanahan said afterward. “He missed a ton of camp, too, with his injury, and had the same thing last year where he missed all of training camp. So he only got to play in that one game for us, got a couple carries versus Seattle at the end of the year last year. So I was really excited to watch him tonight, and from what I saw out there live, I thought he ran real hard and ran real well.”
It may be a limited sample size in an exhibition game, but James coming back from injury and flashing as both a runner and a receiver theoretically improves his odds of getting on the field, even if Black likely has the edge as the second-string running back at this point.
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The 49ers aren’t likely to ask Black or James to try to replicate McCaffrey’s all-encompassing impact on the 49er offense. Very few backs in the NFL can have the influence McCaffrey has on both the run game and the passing attack.
But as even more miles are put on the legs of a future Hall of Fame starter with a checkered injury history, the need for fresh backs who can take on more of the load increases.
Leaning on Black and James to alleviate the strain on McCaffrey is a gamble given they have zero regular-season carriers between them. However, the flashes in preseason have been enough to suggest that, between them, they can help McCaffrey get the necessary rest and keep the 49er offense on the tracks when he is off the field.
The Niners have waited a long time for Shanahan’s commitment to drafting backs to have a tangible positive impact on the team. There are no guarantees of preseason play translating into regular-season results, but there’s cause to be hopeful 2026 could be the season in which that wait ends.
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