San Francisco 49ers assistant coaches spoke with reporters this week. Among them was former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, now serving as the 49ers' assistant head coach and taking on the running backs coaching duties in Bobby Turner's absence.
Also new to the 49ers is running back Tyrion Davis-Price, the first of the team's two third-round picks in this year's draft. Lynn was asked what he saw in Davis-Price that excited him about adding the young running back to head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
"We studied him in the draft, and we liked his skill set," Lynn told reporters, via the team's official YouTube channel. "We liked his size, his speed. We just thought he could bring an element to the game that maybe we don't have right now—the physicality part."
Davis-Price played at 225 pounds during his time at LSU.
"I'll be between 220, 222 this season," Davis-Price said earlier this month. "... That's what I'm best playing at, around that weight, 220, 222."
That makes him one of the biggest running backs on the 49ers roster. That could hint at how Shanahan intends to adjust his offense to better support second-year running back Elijah Mitchell, who dealt with several injuries in 2021 while turning in the best season ever by a 49ers rookie running back.
"[My mindset is] like a linebacker," Davis-Price added. "Deliver the blow, don't wait on it. Go attack him. Punch him in his mouth, and just play football."
It's not just Davis-Price's power that excites the 49ers. Lynn admits he was surprised to see the young running back run a 4.48-second 40-time at the NFL Scouting Combine, given his size.
"As you can see, his play speed is OK. It is good," Lynn said. "His energy, it is good. His physicality. ... We're not asking him to carry the load. We're asking him to come in and shore up the backfield."
Davis-Price wasn't the only bigger running back that the 49ers added this offseason. The team also signed 223-pound Jordan Mason from Georgia Tech, an undrafted free agent.
"We brought in some bigger guys this year," Lynn said via The Athletic. "And that was intentional. And bigger guys usually stay healthier than the smaller, speedier guys. I hope we don't have the injuries we had in the past. But I like the options we have."