NFL 2018 – The Talent Trail - Jerick McKinnon

It’s safe to say there were a few eyebrows raised when ESPN's Adam Schefter first broke the news that Jerick McKinnon had signed a 4 year, $30 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. That’s a huge deal, going from the back up in a strong Minnesota Vikings backfield, to signing a deal that puts him as the 4th highest paid running back in the league. So, what did the 49ers see in McKinnon? Let’s have a look at his career so far.

First of all, McKinnon had a very impressive combine back in 2014, where he ran a 4.37 40 yard dash and benched 225lbs for an incredible 32 reps. These results, mixed with impressive running stats from his final two years at Georgia South, tempted the Vikings to part with their 3rd round pick (96th overall) to take him to Minnesota.

In 2015 McKinnon played second fiddle to the outstanding Adrian Peterson, logging just 52 rushes and 21 receptions. In 2016 he had the chance to win the starting Running Back role with the aforementioned Peterson missing time. However, McKinnon failed to grasp the opportunity and ended up losing the starting role to Matt Asiata. However, in 2017, McKinnon got another chance to shine after rookie Dalvin Cook went down with an injury early in the season. McKinnon, who split the backfield with Latavius Murray, rushed 150 times for 570 yards and 3 TDs. He was also integral in the passing game, catching 51 passes for 421 yards and a further 2 TDs. He finished as the 24th ranked RB in fantasy terms, which is the best of his career.

During his 4 years with the Vikings, McKinnon rushed for a total of 1918 yards on 474 carries which averages out at 4.0 YPC. His main strength is in the passing game though where he can line up in the slot or out wide, as well as the backfield. He has sharp route running and reliable hands making a valuable player to help move the chains.

Now McKinnon gets a chance to prove he can be the lead back in an exciting offense that has flourished since Jimmy Garoppolo took over under center. He is penciled in as a 3 down back, something he hasn’t had the opportunity to do his whole career. A lot of people struggle to see McKinnon taking on the early down work, but the 49ers are not going to pay him such a huge salary just to put him on the sideline for half of the snaps. His only competition (at the moment) is Matt Breida who failed to shine last season when given the chance. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 49ers took another dip into Free Agency and signed a veteran to add some depth to the backfield. DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson are just two names that spring to mind.

49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan has shown he likes the smaller, more agile runner to lead his backfield. In his previous role as Offensive Coordinator in Atlanta, Shanahan was superb in creating and calling plays that made both Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman dangerous weapons in the offense. Their play was one of the main reasons that the Falcons made it to SuperBowl 51. I can see McKinnon being utilized the same way the Freeman was and therefore very valuable to his team and fantasy owners. It wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up in the RB 12-16 range at the end of the season.