49ers GM John Lynch on importance of Brian Robinson addition, RB depth chart

The San Francisco 49ers made a notable move last week, trading with the Washington Commanders to acquire running back Brian Robinson Jr. While general manager John Lynch didn't touch on the addition during Wednesday's media availability, he joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday morning, opening up about Robinson's expected role in the 49ers offense.

"I think it's going to be a big role," Lynch said. "Brian, it feels like yesterday he was here on a 30-visit. 30-visits are the visits prior to the draft, and Brian was one of the guys who came in here. And so, we've long been a fan of Brian."

The move strengthens a running back room already headlined by Christian McCaffrey, giving the 49ers another proven option in case of injury. Lynch emphasized that San Francisco still has confidence in its young backs—Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James—but circumstances made adding Robinson a priority.

James was sidelined by a broken finger during training camp but returned to practice on Wednesday.

"Jordan James is a guy we're extremely high on, but unfortunately got nicked up on a couple different occasions during training camp," Lynch explained. "And so, the idea of going with a rookie as your No. 2 back going into a season, when he's barely had practices, that's a really tough thing to do. And so, we remain high as can be on Jordan James, think he's going to be a fantastic player for us."

Lynch's comments reveal that James was seen as McCaffrey's primary backup before Robinson's arrival, with Guerendo slipping down the depth chart.

"Isaac Guerendo's still in the mix, but we felt like it was important to have another back," Lynch added. "It's just the way things go at that position, and we feel like there's some unique things we can do with Brian in there. He's a great fit for our style of play, and we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to add a player of that [caliber] at that point in training camp."

With Robinson now in the fold, the 49ers' running back depth looks stronger than ever as they prepare for the 2025 season.