Let's be honest. The 49ers drafting a running back in Round 3 this year was not a good sign for Trey Sermon.
Sermon was the 49ers third-round pick last year -- they even traded up to get him. But he was a big disappointment. He was inactive for 8 of 17 regular season games and two of three playoff games, meaning the 49ers didn't even trust him to be a backup half the time. And when he played, he averaged a measly 4.1 yards per carry.
Then the 49ers drafted Ty Davis-Price in Round 3 this year -- a big vote of no-confidence for Sermon it would seem.
Barring injury, the top-three running backs on the roster, the ones active on game days, probably will be Davis-Price, Elijah Mitchell and Jeff Wilson Jr. Which means the 49ers will have space for one more running back -- Sermon, or JaMycal Hasty.
Last season, Hasty played over Sermon, because Hasty was the third-down back. But he wasn't particularly good or reliable in that role. He finished the season with 16 carries, 23 catches and two fumbles.
This season, the third-down back most likely will be Jeff Wilson Jr., who missed the first half of last season with a knee injury. He's a quality receiver out of the backfield.
And that means the 49ers won't necessarily need Hasty anymore. Plus if they cut him, they probably could re-sign him to their practice squad.
Sermon might not play much next season, but he almost certainly will make the team. The 49ers spent too much draft capital on him to admit he's a bust so soon.
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