The 49ers Sign Cincinnati Running Back Corey Kiner as a UDFA

This is a sneaky good addition.

The 49ers have signed Cincinnati running back Corey Kiner as an undrafted free agent according to reports. And of the six UDFAs the 49ers have signed so far this year, Kiner might have the best chance to make the 53-man roster at some point in his career.

The 49ers are trying to replace Jordan Mason, who was their leading rusher last season. Mason was an undrafted free agent in 2022 who made a career for himself with his violent, no-nonsense rushing style.

That's why the 49ers drafted Oregon running back Jordan James in Round 5. He's smaller than Mason, but he runs with the same burst, violence and determination.

Kiner is built like James. Both are roughly 5'9" and 205 lbs. Both run a bit faster than a 4.6. Both are good fits in the 49ers zone-blocking scheme.

But while James seeks out contact and tries to run through it, Kiner has an uncanny ability to avoid contact and break tackles. His center of gravity is low, he has terrific vision to spot cutback lanes and he's decisive. You rarely see him hesitate behind the line of scrimmage and you almost never see the first defender bring him down.

Kiner is a classic one-cut running back. He's not flashy which is why he wasn't drafted, but he's the type of diamond in the rough that running backs coach Bobby Turner has found over and over again in his career.

Don't be surprised if Kiner turns out better than James.