Why the 49ers made the right move in welcoming back running back Jeff Wilson Jr.
This 49ers and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. this week agreed to a one-year deal to keep the team’s leading rusher from 2020 around instead of dipping his toes into the free agency market in March.
Wilson, an undrafted rookie who signed with San Francisco in 2018, was slated for restricted free agency, which means he could have fielded offers from other teams before allowing the 49ers a chance to match. But the two sides agreed to lock Wilson into the planning process for next season before it got to that point.
Wilson, 25, led San Francisco’s offense with 10 total touchdowns in 2020 to accompany his 126 carries and 600 rushing yards. He averaged a career best 4.8 yards per carry, improving on 3.9 in 2019.
Wilson, with his physical running style, is a strong complement to former track star Raheem Mostert, who appeared in eight games after entering the season as the unquestioned starter for the first time in his career on the strength of his strong finish to 2019.
But for the fourth consecutive year since coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017, the 49ers had a different leading rusher, with Wilson taking the lead from Mostert. Here’s the list of the team’s leading rushers since Shanahan arrived:
▪ 2017 – Carlos Hyde: 240 carries, 938 yards, eight touchdowns
▪ 2018 –Matt Breida: 153 carries, 428 yards, two touchdowns
▪ 2019 –Raheem Mostert: 137 carries, 772 yards, 10 touchdowns
▪ 2020 –Jeff Wilson Jr.: 126 carries, 600 yards, 10 touchdowns
Wilson’s production from the 2020 campaign was a result of a couple factors. First, Wilson has developed as a pass catcher and blocker. That led to the coaching staff trusting him to handle a larger workload, which led to more carries. His statistical production was partly a product of the team’s dire injury situation. A team with All-Pro tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and Mostert didn’t expect to be led by Wilson, a backup running back, in touchdowns.
Mostert dealt with high ankle and knee sprains early in the season that caused him to appear in eight games. Wilson also suffered a high ankle sprain in the the third quarter of the October victory over the New England Patriots. He exited early after scoring his third touchdown to go along with his 112 yards on 17 carries. Wilson’s best performance of the year came in the penultimate game against Arizona, when he ran for 183 yards on 22 carries to help push the Cardinals out of the playoff race.
Wilson, who has a 2-year-old son he video chatted with daily during the team’s five-week stay in Arizona, at the end of the season was asked about his approach heading into the offseason.
“For me, it’s just back to the drawing board, back to work,” he said. “Take a break off, spend it with family and then get back to work and try to come out and be the best me that I could possibly be, and that’s how I look at it.”
It’s likely Wilson and Mostert headline the team’s running back group in 2021. But how the rest of the group is constructed remains to be seen. Jerrick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman are both slated for unrestricted free agency and seem unlikely to return, leaving 2020 undrafted rookie JaMycal Hasty with a chance at an increased role.
Wilson spent four seasons at the University of North Texas, where he finished third in school history with 32 rushing touchdowns.
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 2:14 PM.
