There's an argument to be made that Christian McCaffrey's Achilles tendinitis that cost him the first nine weeks of the 2024 regular season was the death nell to the San Francisco 49ers' season.
Entering training camp this year it is still a sizable question mark about whether the 49ers can operate at a high level offensively without their star running back. Jordan Mason shouldered most of the workload with McCaffrey out last season, but he was traded to Minnesota and left the group behind McCaffrey in the backfield vulnerable.
Our training camp previews roll on with a peek at the new-look 49ers running back room:
Christian McCaffrey
There may not be a better all-around RB in the NFL than McCaffrey when he's right. The problem is he turned 29 this offseason and is coming off a year where he only played in four games because of Achilles and knee issues. All signs point to McCaffrey being fully healthy to start camp. We'll be looking less at how fast he's moving or how explosive he is since most of that will be subjective. What we're keeping a close eye on instead is his workload and whether the team is giving him regular rest. It doesn't bode well for him if he's getting an inordinate amount of time off. On the other hand, the 49ers have to be smart and ensure they're keeping their superstar healthy for a full 18-week slate.
Isaac Guerendo
Guerendo may be the 49ers' only hope of surviving offensively if McCaffrey misses any significant time. Last season he also dealt with a handful of different injuries, but he showed enough flashes as an all-around back to have optimism about him going into Year 2. The key in camp will be watching how the 49ers deploy Guerendo in passing situations. He made a few impressive plays as a pass catcher last year. Expanding on that role is going to be the difference between Guerendo getting real playing time to spell McCaffrey or working in sparingly.
Patrick Taylor Jr.
Taylor is probably the third RB heading into camp. He didn't play much in 2024, but he acquitted himself well in the season finale when he ripped off a career-best 109 rushing yards on 17 carries. He'll be another player to watch as a pass catcher since his role in Green Bay was largely to be in on third downs. If he's getting reps with the first team and making an impact as a receiver he'll have a real shot to climb the depth chart.
Jordan James
The 2025 fifth-round pick will have some work to do in his first season. James was a productive runner in college, cranking out 5.7 yards per carry and 31 touchdowns on 386 attempts, but his receiving work and pass blocking left something to be desired. While he'll need to improve on those things to see the field, we're watching something different in camp. The 49ers offense is notoriously hard for rookies to grasp. James needs to start by just lining up properly and picking the right hole when he does get his opportunities. Once he's doing that proficiently we can start nitpicking the other areas of his game. A strong camp would go a long way toward putting James ahead of Taylor on the roster.
Corey Kiner
Some people may argue that Kiner, an undrafted rookie, is a more intriguing prospect than James. The Cincinnati Bearcat notched 556 attempts across four college seasons. He finished his career with a pair of 1,000-yard seasons. Kiner's receiving skills aren't exactly well-honed either, so we'll be watching for the same things with him that we are with James. If Kiner picks up the offense faster he may find himself leading in a battle between rookies for a roster spot.
Israel Abanikanda
It's hard to place Abanikanda on the 49ers' pre-camp depth chart. He joined the 49ers late last season after they claimed him off waivers from the New York Jets. He never appeared in a game for San Francisco. While Abanikanda does technically have more NFL experience than James and Kiner, it wouldn't be a surprise if the 49ers favored their rookies. The question marks behind Guerendo leave the door open for Abanikanda to become a factor. His prior knowledge of the 49ers' offense may help earn him some extra snaps early in camp. How he performs in those opportunities will ultimately determine whether he's in the mix for a roster spot.
