Rise of 49ers WR opens door to solve one big offensive question

Maybe more “3 WR” sets is the move for the 49ers.

There’s a minor problem simmering under the surface of one of the San Francisco 49ers’ biggest offensive successes this season.

Running back Jordan Mason is second in the NFL in rushing yards with 447, but his 91 carries far outpace the rest of the league. He’s on pace for a whopping 387 carries, which would be the most in an NFL season since DeMarco Murray had 392 for the Cowboys in 2014.

The 49ers have to figure out a way to lighten his workload. Perhaps RB Christian McCaffrey returns at some point and the sustainability question for Mason is erased completely. It’s tough to bank on McCaffrey at this point though given that we’re still unsure what his timeline for return even looks like.

It doesn’t appear San Francisco has an immediate solution to take some of the carries off of Mason’s plate. Rookie Isaac Guerendo had one rush in the first two weeks, five in Week 3, but then was back to one in Week 4. Patrick Taylor, the other RB on the roster, hasn’t played an offensive snap.

Maybe it’s a lack of trust for head coach Kyle Shanahan, or just an uncertainty about the production those two could provide in comparison to Mason.

That brings us to our proposed solution: Jauan Jennings.

This isn’t to say Jennings should be in the backfield. However, his emergence as a legitimate receiving weapon on a high volume of targets makes it conceivable that he should be playing more.

The 49ers love to lean on their 21 personnel with two running backs, one tight end and two WRs, and Shanahan has indicated they plan to stick with that as their primary personnel grouping despite Jennings’s emergence as a potential star.

A move to some 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs) may allow San Francisco to both spell Mason and get Jennings on the field thanks to Deebo Samuel’s versatility.

Using Samuel in the backfield isn’t a novel concept, but it’s one the 49ers have gone away from since his breakout All-Pro campaign in 2021. That year he ran it 59 times. In 2022 his carries dipped to 42, and then to 37 last season. His snaps in the backfield also dropped from 116 in 2021 to just 49 in 2023 per Pro Football Focus.

We’ve already seen the 49ers rely on Samuel as a runner in pinch this season. They fed him eight carries in Week 1 when they found out before the game they wouldn’t have McCaffrey for the opener against the New York Jets. By moving him into the backfield to take some of the workload off of Mason, they can either utilize Samuel’s rushing ability or design ways to get the ball in his hands in space to limit some of the damage done by between-the-tackles carries.

Then when the 49ers want to go back to 21, they can bring in Mason for Samuel and allow Samuel to get some plays off while Jennings stays on the field with WR Brandon Aiyuk. It’s tacking some touches onto Samuel’s plate, but it also opens the door to getting him some in-game rest to keep him healthy over the long-term (or at least until McCaffrey is back), while also ensuring Jennings continues getting an opportunity to be impactful.

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Unlikely hero emerging on 49ers’ defensive line

Don’t sleep on the 2022 UDFA.

It’s going to be all hands on deck for the San Francisco 49ers defensive line this season.

Javon Hargrave’s season-ending triceps injury put the 49ers in a bind up front where they’re now missing a major source of their pass rush. Hargrave last season in what was deemed a ‘down’ year still had the second-most pressures on the team with 64, and the third-best pass rush win rate.

While all eyes will inevitably turn to defensive ends Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd to pick up some of the slack, another unlikely hero is making his way into the spotlight.

Sam Okuayinonu, a 2022 undrafted free agent signing of the Titans, had only six games under his belt as a pro prior to this year. He posted 0.5 sacks in his six contests as a rookie for Tennessee. He had his first full sack against the Rams in Week 3 as a standard practice squad elevation.

Sunday against the Patriots he came up with a forced fumble and caught the eye of head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Guys stepped it up,” Shanahan said Monday in a conference call. “Sam O who got his opportunity, he got it, I think, for the first time two weeks ago, but he’s been a beast in practice. And to watch him carry it over to the games is kind of what I’d like to say we expected because he’s been such a pain in practice and in a good way just for our offense to deal with. And it was cool to see him do it to somebody else here on Sunday.”

Okuayinonu posted three pressures in 10 pass rushes Sunday according to Pro Football Focus. His obscene 44.4 percent pass rush win rate was by far the best on the team.

It’s worth noting the Patriots’ offensive line is putrid and that most of the 49ers’ defensive front cooked against them. However, it’s clear through the last couple of weeks that Okuayinonu has a chance to be a much-needed contributor to the 49ers’ defensive end rotation.

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49ers rookie has officially jumped up depth chart after earning Week 4 start

The 49ers had a new starter on Sunday, an indicator that their depth chart has changed.

The San Francisco 49ers’ blowout win over the New England Patriots in Week 4 began with an interesting wrinkle.

Strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was ruled out of the contest with an ankle injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice. That opened the door for a new starter to jump into that role.

For the first two weeks it was veteran George Odum in the starting spot while Hufanga finished his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered last season. This week was different.

With Hufanga nursing an ankle issue, the 49ers turned to rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha as their starter.

“Yeah, we thought he was ready for it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a press conference after the game. “When him and (Odum) G.O. were going, we started rotating him a little, I think the second week. He’s been doing awesome in practice. We started to mix him in there in game two. I think (Hufanga) Huf came back in game three, so we didn’t need to do it. But when we found out Huf couldn’t play today, we knew he was next man up.”

Mustapha rotated in and actually out-snapped Odum in Week 2, but he didn’t see much action in Week 3.

In Week 4 he was the strong safety, an indicator that he’s eclipsed Odum on the depth chart and has firmly grasped the No. 3 safety spot where the club will turn to him if there’s an injury. They may also start sprinkling in some three-safety looks where Mustapha is on the field with Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown.

For now he’s steadily climbing the depth chart. Barring a major injury he’ll be the No. 3 safety the rest of this year, but his rise bodes well for his chances to snag a starting job in 2025.

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49ers rookie RB may cut into rising star’s carries

Is a rookie coming for some of Jordan Mason’s carries?

There aren’t many No. 1, workhorse running backs in the NFL anymore. San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason certainly fits the bill though.

Mason has taken full advantage of his opportunity to be the 49ers’ lead RB with Christian McCaffrey sidelined by Achilles tendinitis, and he’s worked as essentially the 49ers’ lone running back during the first three weeks of the season. That may change soon.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday in his press conference indicated that rookie RB Isaac Guerendo may start becoming a bigger factor in the backfield.

“He showed on film what he has been showing us,” Shanahan said of Guerendo’s five-carry, 19-yard performance in Week 3. “We’ve been encouraged about him for a while. He got off to a late start with his training camp injury, but we were encouraged with his preseason play. Everyone, I think, saw that with his kick return and stuff. He had two runs in that game that were encouraging and always a chance to get more.”

It’s unlikely that Mason suddenly starts splitting carries with Guerendo. He’s been too successful to just remove from the field too often. Mason is up to 342 yards and two touchdowns on a league-high 67 attempts.

However, Guerendo drew a fascinating comparison from 49ers offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster. He compared the rookie fourth-round pick to former 49ers RB Raheem Mostert.

Mostert was known for his downhill style and his home run speed that made him a threat to score a touchdown every time he touched the ball. While Mason has been good, he’s not a home run threat. His longest run of the year is just 24 yards. His longest touchdown of the year is 10.

Guerendo may be able to provide some of the long explosive play ability that Mason doesn’t have. That doesn’t mean he should start seeing 10-12 carries a game, but he had five in Week 3 after getting only one in the first two weeks combined.

It’s reasonable to think Guerendo could start snagging eight or so carries per game to lighten some of the workload on Mason, and to add the big-play element the 49ers’ backfield is missing.

Mason is still RB1, to be sure, but Guerendo appears to be on the verge of becoming more of a factor.

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Will Jauan Jennings play more even with 49ers healthy at WR?

More Jauan Jennings? It’s a real possibility even with the 49ers receiving corps getting healthier.

It’s unlikely we’ll see the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan make any major schematic changes to their offense any time soon.

However, their injury issues have forced some players to jump into bigger roles and perhaps make a case for more playing time even after the injury situation improves.

No player embodied the ‘next man up’ mentality more than wide receiver Jauan Jennings in Week 3. With no Deebo Samuel at wide receiver and no George Kittle at tight end, Jennings played a career-high 60 snaps and turned in a remarkable 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance.

His outing brought up questions about how the 49ers would navigate the WR position when Samuel was healthy since they so often run two-receiver sets that leave Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the field. Shanahan was asked in a press conference Friday about the possibility of using more 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) in lieu of their typical 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end). He said that drastic change is unlikely, but more Jennings is a possibility.

“I’m always comfortable with Jauan,” Shanahan said. “But our, if we’re not going 11, it has nothing to do with always trying to get our best 11 people out there. Jauan, I think, has been one of our best 11 people since he’s been here. That usually more has to do with advantages of 21-personnel and things like that. But it’s a good problem to have. I want to get Jauan out there more. He’s that type of player. It doesn’t always mean that you go totally different with your scheme and everything, but you can always rotate him in more too.”

Jennings has acquitted himself well every time he’s stepped into any kind of role with the 49ers. Utilizing him more may allow the club to keep Samuel and Kittle healthier down the stretch of the season. Jennings doesn’t have a ton of miles on his body, and he’s a big, physical receiver who is excellent at pulling down contested catches. He’s also flashed some run-after-the-catch ability during his career.

It’s unlikely we’ll see another game any time soon where Jennings is getting 10-plus targets while Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle are all healthy. We can and should see more of him though considering how effective he is when he steps on the field. Don’t be surprised if his snap counts start to creep up and his production becomes a little more consistent.

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49ers injury report: George Kittle in, 5 questionable vs. Patriots

Lots happening on the 49ers’ Week 4 injury report. 2 out, 5 questionable, 2 notable names not on the report.

The San Francisco 49ers may be at something close to full strength on Sunday when they host the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

Two notable names were not included on the official injury report. Quarterback Brock Purdy is good to go after dealing with some back soreness leading into Week 3. Tight end George Kittle will also play after missing Week 3 with a hamstring injury.

Here’s who is on the injury report:

Out

DT Javon Hargrave (triceps)
LB Curtis Robinson (knee)

Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Robinson tore his ACL in Thursday’s practice. Expect both Hargrave and Robinson to go on season-ending IR. The 49ers would have three open roster spots if they don’t fill them immediately.

Questionable

WR Deebo Samuel (calf)
LB Dee Winters (ankle)
DT Jordan Elliott (foot)
S Talanoa Hufanga (ankle)
LT Trent Williams (toe)

A questionable designation is actually good for Samuel after he was ruled out early for Week 3. Shanahan said Samuel would miss ‘a couple’ games after he strained his calf in the final moments of the 49ers’ Week 2 loss. Samuel go work in Thursday and Friday which gives him a chance to go Sunday.

If Winters can play we may see him get run at the Will linebacker spot alongside Fred Warner. He was getting mixed in against the Rams before aggravating his ankle injury on a special teams play.

Elliott left Thursday’s session with a foot injury, but he returned to practice Friday. Hufanga is a new addition to the report after not being listed the first two days of practice. The same goes for Williams who complained about toe soreness Friday.

If Williams can’t go the 49ers could be in serious trouble on the offensive line. We’ve seen the offense survive with running back Christian McCaffrey, Kittle and Samuel, but they’ve really struggled when Williams is out.

We’ll find out more about the 49ers’ injury situation 90 minutes before Sunday’s kickoff.

Kickoff from Levi’s Stadium is slated for 1:05pm Pacific Time.

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Are 49ers preparing for change to starting offensive line?

The 49ers may have change coming on their OL with one player changing positions.

The San Francisco 49ers may be gearing up to try something a little different along their offensive line.

Going into the offseason it was clear the 49ers needed to at bare minimum add competition for the right side of the offensive front. Right guard was a rotating cast of players last season, while right tackle was a clear weak spot.

They added right guard help in the third round of this year’s draft when they selected Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni. He won the starting right guard spot out of camp and has acquitted himself well through three games.

At right tackle they brought in some veterans like Chris Hubbard and Brandon Parker, but neither really pushed incumbent right tackle Colton McKivitz for a starting job. It appears that competition may now be coming for the bookend opposite Trent Williams.

Offensive line coach Chris Foerster was asked in his Thursday press conference whether swing tackle Jaylon Moore played on the right side at all. He indicated that Moore does work on that side, but then he indicated another interior offensive lineman is moving to tackle.

“He gets a little work the right side,” Foerster said of Moore. “He’s been getting work since the start of the season. Wednesdays, Trent is usually off, and then Thursdays he’s back at practice, so he’s able to get a little bit more work at both tackles. As is, we’re working Spencer Burford to tackle as well.”

This is an intriguing development since Burford exclusively played guard for the 49ers since they selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. However, he played all over the offensive line in college and logged more than 20 starts at either right or left tackle.

It’s not out of the question that San Francisco would make a mid-season change on the OL. They’ve done it at right guard in each of the last two years by rotating players in with Burford who started at that spot his first two seasons.

McKivitz would be the logical choice to replace. He’s allowed a team-worst 13 pressures, one sack, and half of the six quarterback hits the offensive line has allowed through three games per Pro Football Focus.

Keeping quarterback Brock Purdy upright and healthy is going to be vital to the 49ers overcoming the bombardment of injuries that’ve hit them this season, and making a change on the offensive line may be necessary to ensure that happens.

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49ers rookie RB draws comparison to former 49ers playoff hero

Are the 49ers about to develop the new Raheem Mostert?!

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo finally got some real NFL work in his third regular season game.

After getting one carry for no yards in Week 2, Guerendo had five carries for 19 yards in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. He had another five-yard carry called back for holding.

While his numbers were pedestrian, 49ers offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said Guerendo nearly ripped off a long touchdown run.

“Loved him. Loved him,” Foerster said in a press conference Thursday. “We had, oh man, if you guys watched the all 22, if you saw the play, [LG Aaron] Banks went up to get a linebacker and kind of didn’t go right at him, he kind of slipped and fell on his butt and, but it was right about on the 50. That’s a good feeling, right on the emblem. He fell backwards and missed the linebacker on that play. If he’d have got on that guy, there was a crease that he, I would’ve loved to see if he would’ve hit it. If he just could have, I thought he might have split the safety.”

The home run run plays have been missing from the 49ers’ offense so far this season. That one evaded Guerendo on Sunday, but Foerster’s comparison for the rookie fourth-round pick from Louisville indicates he could be seeing more time in the backfield soon.

“He reminds me of another 31 [Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert] we had here in his running style,” Foerster said. “He’s got that upright, good-speed running style. And I’m not putting him in that category yet, but he really does. I want to see him get a chance to get, we just haven’t gotten him the space yet. I like him. He’s got a ways to go, obviously. He’s got a lot of developing to do. And that position is a hard, tough position. But he’s nothing but a positive upside. He really looks to be that, I won’t say change of pace. Shoot, he could be your lead dog, but he’s got that little, that extra gear we’ve been looking for in a change between, Christian’s playing fast, JP’s playing fast, but he’s got a little bit something different from those guys.”

Mostert worked largely in a reserve role until 2019 when he broke out late in the year and sent the 49ers to the Super Bowl with a 29-carry, 220-yard, four-touchdown performance in the NFC championship game. His specialty with the 49ers was the explosive run play where every touch was liable to go to the end zone.

It would be a huge boost for the 49ers offense if Guerendo starts executing those big run plays the way Mostert did. Starting RB Jordan Mason’s longest carry of the season is just 24 yards. Having a threat in the run game who can flip the field or score a long touchdown on the ground would make life easier on the 49ers’ offense. And if Guerendo turns into Mostert, they need to start getting him the ball more often.

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49ers need to make change in starting LB corps

It’s time for a change on the 49ers’ defense.

It appears the San Francisco 49ers may be headed toward a shakeup to try and cure some of what ails their struggling defense.

The 49ers entering Monday night were allowing a whopping 6.1 yards per play. That’s the third-worst mark in the league and 1.1 yards per play more than they allowed last season. They’ve also struggled on third downs and haven’t been able to come up with key stops at the end of both of their losses.

While there are a host of issues on that side of the ball, one glaring one is linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who could be on his way to a lesser role. Second-year LB Dee Winters took over in the second quarter for a short stretch Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams before re-aggravating his ankle injury on LA’s fake punt.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Winters’ defensive snaps were something the club planned on leading up to the game.

“Just planned on it before the game,” Shanahan said. “We wanted to do that early going into this year also. But Dee just got hurt there, I think in that last preseason game, so that set that back a little bit. He’s gotten healthy and we planned on doing that early, just like the week before we planned on doing it with (S George Odum) G.O. and Malik (Mustapha). We started that and he got hurt on, he reaggravated his ankle on the fake punt.”

While Shanahan said the move wasn’t because of dissatisfaction with Campbell, he did say Winters had done enough to push for the starting Will LB spot.

“We want to keep working to get the best guys out there and Dee has had a good camp and he showed that he deserves the chance to push him,” Shanahan said. “He did good on the plays that he did when he was in there and hopefully he’ll get healthy so we can keep doing the same stuff.”

It’s not a surprise the 49ers are aiming to try something different at the spot previously occupied by Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw’s athleticism in the second level allowed San Francisco to control an area of the field so many offenses thrive in, particularly in the passing game.

Campbell has struggled badly in coverage, allowing 14 catches for 149 yards and one touchdown on 16 targets according to Pro Football Focus.

Getting that second LB spot ironed out isn’t the only thing that can help the 49ers turn their defense around after a slow start, but it would certainly help what’s been a clear weakness so far in 2024.

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Kyle Shanahan comments on rookie WR aren’t encouraging

So, why didn’t Jacob Cowing play against the Rams?

Rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing’s absence from a third consecutive game raised some eyebrows after the San Francisco 49ers’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Cowing figured to be a player who saw a bigger role with veteran WR Deebo Samuel sidelined by a calf injury. His absence wasn’t much of a story as WR Jauan Jennings put up an 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown game, but it was put under a spotlight when second-year WR Ronnie Bell dropped a key throw late in the loss.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Monday on a conference call about Cowing’s absence. His answer didn’t provide much optimism that Cowing would be a factor any time soon.

“He’s still working to get out there,” Shanahan said. “He is trying to get more comfortable with the offense and just earn a role with it, gets closer and closer each week. Still got a bit to go though.”

He doubled down when asked for reasons why Cowing wasn’t getting offensive snaps.

“There’s lots of reasons that go into it, but he hasn’t been able to make his way into that group yet,” Shanahan said, “and the more he gets comfortable with the offense and the more consistent he gets then he’ll earn those opportunities.”

It makes sense that Cowing wouldn’t be ready to contribute offensively just yet. The rookie fourth-round pick missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. He did produce in his two preseason contests, but having success in a preseason doesn’t necessarily mean a player is ready to suit up in a regular-season game.

On the other hand, Cowing showed enough electricity with the ball in his hands that the 49ers should consider devising ways to get him on the field in some capacity. It’s hard to imagine they’re eager to give Bell more opportunity after his pair of drops Sunday. Their injury situation leaves them short on options, but it doesn’t seem like Cowing will be part of the solution any time soon.

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