As general manager John Lynch more or less promised after all the talent that was lost in free agency, the San Francisco 49ers devoted a lot of their 11 picks in the 2025 draft to defense. Coordinator Robert Saleh may or may not have demanded as much, as he looks to turn around the San Francisco defense again.
But with Kyle Shanahan in place as head coach, there's no way the Niners were going to completely ignore the offense in the draft.
Their second pick of the fourth round brought Ole Miss wide receiver Jordan Watkins, and it seemed like a matter of time before Shanahan's assertion about drafting a running back came to fruition.
In the fifth round, at pick No. 147, with the pick that came to them from the wide receiver Deebo Samuel trade with the Washington Commanders, San Francisco selected Oregon running back Jordan James.
Jordan James will be the be 49ers' biggest 2025 draft sleeper
After being used little as a freshman in 2022, James had a breakthrough in 2023 (759 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns; an FBS-high 7.1 yards per carry). With Bucky Irving gone to the NFL last season, James stepped into the unchecked lead back role for the Ducks and all he did was lead the Big Ten in rushing (1,267 yards) with 15 touchdowns (second in the Big Ten).
ESPN's Nick Wagoner had a couple notable statistical nuggets about James.
Along with the aforementioned yardage and touchdown numbers last season, James had 39 rushes of 10-plus yards (second-most in the Big Ten). He also did not fumble at all in 386 career carries, the third-most attempts without a fumble in FBS over the last three seasons.
Then there's this more 49ers-focused nugget:
James was not used a ton in the passing game at Oregon, but he did show some ability in that area (8.3 yards per catch over the last two seasons).
The 49ers need to find a successor for Christian McCaffrey, and ideally a back who seamlessly fits their zone-based run scheme. During his video call with reporters after he was drafted, James noted that fit with what he did at Oregon.
"I think they have a great outside-zone run scheme that I'm pretty good at, that I did a lot at Oregon," James said, via David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. "So, I think I'll fit pretty well into their scheme, into their offense in general."
At first glance, the Niners had an excellent day to finish what looks like a nice 2025 draft haul (defensive tackle CJ West, Watkins, James, safety Marques Sigle).
But James stands out from that group, with an immediate role replacing Jordan Mason lined up for him and the possibility he'll be San Francisco's future No. 1 running back.
