The San Francisco 49ers’ depth at running back outside Christian McCaffrey has been unsteady over the past few seasons.
Elijah Mitchell had an excellent rookie season but has battled injuries, causing him to miss 24 out of 51 regular season games in his first three seasons. He has also been inconsistent in the past two seasons, rushing for 560 yards in 16 games.
Jordan Mason has been reliable in his first two seasons, rushing for 464 yards, but underutilized in San Francisco, representing 82 (8%) snaps in 2022 and 99 (9%) in 2023.
The 49ers addressed the position in the draft by drafting a running back in the 4th round.
The San Francisco 49ers drafted a running back in the 4th round
The 49ers traded up to draft Isaac Guerendo in the 4th round, 129th overall of the 2024 NFL Draft.
He wasn’t the only running back added during the week. They also signed an SEC running back.
The San Francisco 49ers signed an undrafted free agent
According to Jordan Schultz of Schultz_Report, the 49ers signed Cody Schrader as an undrafted free agent. Schrader spent the last two seasons in Missouri.
Cody Schrader spent the last two seasons with the Missouri Tigers
After spending his first four seasons with the Truman State Bulldogs, Cody Schrader transferred to the Tigers during the 2022 season.
Schrader had a solid 2022 season. He played 13 games, starting 11, with 745 yards on 170 attempts and nine touchdowns. He also had 19 receptions for 137 yards.
Schrader broke out during the 2023 season. He played in 13 games, starting 13, with 1,627 yards on 276 attempts and 14 touchdowns. He also had 22 receptions for 191 yards. The Associated Press and league coaches named him to the All-SEC First Team, and the Associated Press named him to their All-American First Team.
Cody Schrader did not have a good performance at the combine
Schrader did not test well at the combine. Here are his measurements.
- Height: 5’8 1/2″
- Weight: 202
- Arm Size: 28 1/8″
- Hand Size: 9 1/8″
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.61
- 10-Yard Split: 1.55
- Vertical Jump: 33″
- Broad Jump: N/A
- 3-Cone Drill: N/A
- 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
- Bench Press: N/A
- RAS: 4.11
He injured his hamstring during the 40-yard dash and missed the rest of the drills.
Lance Zierlein’s scouting report of Cody Schrader
Lance Zierlein of NFL Network did a scouting report of Schrader:
“Ornery and competitive, Schrader’s story arc reads like a Hollywood movie. The sixth-year senior dominated at Truman State before walking on at Missouri and showing he could shine against SEC competition.
“He’s a stocky short-strider lacking ideal explosiveness but is still a successful outside-zone back due to his vision, decisiveness and fearlessness through the line. He’s a volume back more likely to wear a defense down rather than gash them with chunk runs and is a capable pass protector against the blitz.
“Teams need to weigh the heavy production against average physical tools, but he appears to have a decent shot of becoming an RB2/3 with three-down ability.”
Cody Schrader will have to earn the last running back job
The 49ers generally keep four running backs and one full-back on the final roster, meaning Schrader faces stiff competition for the final spot. He will compete against Mitchell, Mason, Guerendo, and Taylor.
Does he have what it takes to make the 53-man roster?
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