49ers Should Utilize Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. Simultaneously

One of the reasons why 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is such a phenomenal play caller is his recognition of mismatches.

He knows how to dictate the matchups for his offensive skill players.

Surely, he is foaming at the mouth about the idea of getting running back Jerick McKinnon matched up on a slower linebacker. That is going to be nails every time.

But eventually teams will catch on to how Shanahan uses McKinnon. He is going to need another player, another threat to alleviate the attention that McKinnon could see.

That is why the 49ers should utilize McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. simultaneously.

Wilson is an underrated pass-catching running back. He has put on display multiple times just how capable he is. From his clutch game winning touchdown against the Cardinals in Week 11 to his high-pressure catch in the Super Bowl during the two-minute drill, I have no doubt that he has some untapped potential there.

A split gun formation to pair these two up would make linebackers alert at all times. There is always going to be the threat of a handoff or one or both of them running a route out of the backfield.

What I envision is Shanahan utilizing a ton of motions and shifts with them to drop one linebacker from the box. That way he will be able to truly get a sense of where the matchups are. From there, it will be on Jimmy Garoppolo to dictate where his most favorable target.

This is just a bite size of what Shanahan can do with McKinnon and Wilson together.

Best part of all is that a defense will have no idea who to cover. It is just another part of why Shanahan is so elite. The chess match that he plays with a defense has them pulling their hair off of their heads. It's simply that infuriating to tell what is going to come at them next.

McKinnon and Wilson being out there, if they end up proving to be a successful duo, could end up just being a decoy. That would end up opening up the wide receivers going across the middle. And should the 49ers face a defense with a stout cover safety, I highly doubt a defensive coordinator will waste that talent covering the two running backs. There is still George Kittle out there to take into account.

This is why utilizing McKinnon and Wilson together to establish their impact could open up more opportunities down the line for the 49ers.

Shanahan has a ton of weapons in his arsenal this season. The options and variety that he can play with seem endless. Good luck to opposing defenses that have to stress themselves on how to scheme against the 49ers.