How Big of a Need is Running Back for the 49ers in the NFL Draft?

You could argue that running back is the 49ers' biggest need.

Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

You could argue that running back is the 49ers' biggest need. That doesn't necessarily mean they should draft one with their first pick, though.

The 49ers are a running-back-driven team. When they have a healthy running back, they generally go to the NFC Championship Game. When they don't, they often miss the playoffs. That's how important the position is to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.

When Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey were at their peak, the 49ers were extremely tough to beat. But all three of them broke down. McCaffrey just missed 13 games last season due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a torn PCL. Plus, he will turn 29 in June. The 49ers can't expect him to carry the same workload they gave him in 2022 and 2023 and expect him to stay healthy.

The 49ers' No. 2 running back, Isaac Guerendo, is a good backup, but he never has been a starter in the NFL or in college. And in high school, he was a wide receiver. So the 49ers need to draft another player at this position.

But good running backs are abundant -- they just get injured frequently. That's why it's smart to wait to draft them.

In 2021 and 2022, the 49ers drafted Trey Sermon and Ty Davis-Price in Round 3, and neither running back panned out for the 49ers. So in 2024, they waited until Round 4 to take Guerendo.

I'm guessing the 49ers will wait until Round 4 again this year to take a running back considering they found a good one in Round 4 last year.