One 49ers Rookie Likeliest to Have Surprise Impact in 2025

This 49ers rookie has the best chance to be an impactful player that no one saw coming.

Jun 11, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James (29) catches a pass during a team OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The majority of the rookies on the San Francisco 49ers reside on the defense.

All eyes will primarily be on first-round pick Mykel Williams. The expectations on him in 2025 are gigantic, given his draft status. He has to be an impactful player.

However, the 49ers need their other rookies to step up as well. In fact, there is one 49ers rookie who currently doesn't have a lot of expectations, who can end up having a surprise impact in 2025.

The surprising impactful 49ers rookie

That rookie is none other than running back Jordan James. Right now, he isn't expected to contribute much with Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo ahead of him.

Getting playing time as a rookie with McCaffrey healthy will be nearly impossible. And when McCaffrey needs a breather, Guerendo can fill in for quality snaps.

How James can have a surprising impact is if one or both McCaffrey and Guerendo miss time due to injury. McCaffrey claims he's fully fit, but he is still a question mark in that regard.

Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James (29) runs through an obstacle course during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Guerendo is also a sneaky injury-prone player, given how often he was getting banged up last year. He might be fine since he won't be a full-time starter, but he is another running back question mark.

If one of them goes down, that is James' time to shine. Unfortunately, it has to come at the cost of another player's health, but that is the reality of the running back position on the 49ers.

James can step up and fill in nicely for either of those two. He's so far been excellent during OTAs and training camp. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has enjoyed watching James early on.

But Shanahan knows he won't fully know how capable James is until the pads come on.

“He's doing a good job. I mean, he is hitting the holes hard. I like how he's been running," Shanahan said. "Definitely want to get the pads on, especially with the running backs. It’s always tough to evaluate guys without pads."

Jul 23, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan answers questions from reporters following the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

August is a critical month for James. He already has Shanahan intrigued with him. Now he just needs to prove he's just as silky with the pads on as he is with them off.

Preseason games will also be a determining factor. If he can do that, Shanahan will not be fretting if he has to rotate or start James this season.

However, James missed practice on July 29, so he could be dealing with an injury that keeps him out for a while. If he misses some time, he needs to hit the ground running in his return.

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