The 49ers Have the NFL's 12th-Best Running Back Unit per PFF

The 49ers are a running-back-driven team.

They don't need a great quarterback to go to the Super Bowl -- they proved that with Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy. But, they do need a great running back. That's what Raheem Mostert was in 2019, and it's what Christian McCaffrey was in 2023.

Now, McCaffrey is 29 -- he might not be great anymore. Which means the 49ers will need to use all of their running backs this year. And according to Pro Football Focus, the 49ers' running back unit ranks 12th out of 32 teams this year.

"The 49ers are one of the hardest teams to project for this list, given Christian McCaffrey’s recent injury history," writes PFF's Dalton Wasserman. "Across 2022 and 2023, he was the NFL’s highest-graded running back. His injuries in 2024 limited him to just 167 snaps and a 71.3 PFF overall grade. McCaffrey is supremely talented, but he enters his age-29 season with more questions than ever.

"Isaac Guerendo did a decent job in spot duty last season, earning a 67.2 PFF rushing grade. The team also added fifth-round rookie Jordan James, who recorded an elite 95.7 PFF rushing grade over the past two seasons at Oregon."

This is a generous grade.

If McCaffrey can't stay healthy anymore, then one of the backups must step up. And while Guerendo flashed potential as an explosive running back who can catch passes, he got injured twice in just 84 carries last season and he never handled a big workload in college.

And while Jordan James performed well in college, he replaced Jordan Mason, who had an elite 90.5 rushing grade in the NFL the past three seasons. Why the 49ers traded him to the Vikings, I'll never know, but the Vikings rank 11th on this list -- one spot above the 49ers.

I'm just saying.