Will the 49ers Trade Up for Boise State Running Back Ashton Jeanty?

Jeanty might be a better player right now than McCaffrey who's getting old and breaking down.

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 49ers reportedly are interested in trading into the top six picks of the upcoming draft. If they pull off a trade, would they take Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty?

You could argue the 49ers have bigger needs in the trenches and running backs are a dime a dozen. So if the 49ers trade up, they should take an offensive tackle such as Armand Membou from Missouri, or an edge rusher such as Abdul Carter from Penn State.

Membou and Carter are phenomenal prospects. But even if the 49ers were to land either one of them, they still would be at the mercy of Christian McCaffrey. Because when the 49ers have a dominant running back, they generally win. And when they don't, they generally lose.

Robert Saleh will find a way to piece together a quality young defense with lots of rookies and second-year players -- he's that good of a coach. The issue is the offense. If McCaffrey is healthy, it will be elite. But if he's out again, Brock Purdy will have to pass more than he should and he'll throw more picks late in close games like he did in 2024.

The same was true for Jimmy Garoppolo. When Raheem Mostert was elite, Garoppolo was a winner. When Mostert got hurt, Garoppolo struggled. That's because the 49ers have a run-first offense that depends on a dominant running back forcing eight defenders in the box so Kyle Shanahan and the quarterback can exploit single-high-safety coverages with play-action passes. Simple as that.

Jeanty is a dominant running back. NFL.com's draft profile compares him to LaDainian Tomlinson. He might be a better player right now than McCaffrey who's getting old and breaking down.

So if the 49ers trade up -- and I'm not saying they should. They have tons of needs and are not one great player away from winning a Super Bowl. But if they do indeed trade up, Jeanty might be the best pick for them.