NFL Mock Draft: 49ers Pick RB Dylan Sampson in Round 3

Running back is one of the 49ers' biggest needs this offseason.

Christian McCaffrey is a huge question mark after missing 13 games last season with bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a torn PCL. He'll turn 29 in June.

Jordan Mason, the 49ers' leading rusher last season, now is on the Vikings. He got traded for a pair of late-round draft picks.

And Isaac Guerendo, currently the No. 2 running back on the depth chart, was carted off the field in the final game of the season after just 84 carries on the year. He's an upright runner who gets injured frequently.

Which means the 49ers almost certainly will spend a high draft pick on a running back next month. And NFL.com Draft Analyst Chad Reuter projects the 49ers to take Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson in Round 3 with pick No. 100.

Sampson is an intriguing pick. In 2024, in his first and only season as a starter, he led the SEC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He's extremely compact and explosive -- he ran a 4.46 at 200 lbs. at his Pro Day.

Sampson's only drawback is his height -- he's 5'8". Which means he's an extremely small target as a receiver. Maybe that's why Tennessee rarely threw him the ball.

As good as Sampson is, I'm guessing the 49ers want to draft a big running back to replace Jordan Mason, who's a bruiser. Also, I'm guessing they want a running back who's an experienced receiver because Brock Purdy desperately needs an elite check-down option.

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