Pro Football Focus (PFF) analyst Dalton Wasserman recently released his NFL running back unit rankings heading into the 2025 season. One team that gave him pause? The San Francisco 49ers, thanks largely to the uncertainty surrounding their star, Christian McCaffrey.
After winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, McCaffrey endured an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, which made it difficult for Wasserman to place the 49ers appropriately in his rankings.
San Francisco's running back group ultimately landed at No. 12.
McCaffrey's 2024 setback
McCaffrey was limited to just four games last season, amassing only 348 scrimmage yards and zero touchdowns. He began the year on injured reserve due to Achilles tendinitis and ended it back on IR with a PCL injury.
"The 49ers are one of the hardest teams to project for this list, given Christian McCaffrey's recent injury history," Wasserman explained." Across 2022 and 2023, he was the NFL's highest-graded running back. His injuries in 2024 limited him to just 167 snaps and a 71.3 PFF overall grade. McCaffrey is supremely talented, but he enters his age-29 season with more questions than ever."
Encouraging signs for 2025
Despite last season's setbacks, the outlook for 2025 is optimistic. McCaffrey was a full participant in the 49ers' offseason program and is gearing up for a full workload during training camp.
"I feel great," McCaffrey said last week. "This offseason, I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base, starting from scratch. So a lot of it was rehab, and I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs, and I could practice, and play football again, and be healthy, and not miss a day. I did that, and now, we can kind of kick back up the training again. But I feel great."
Depth behind McCaffrey
The 49ers also have intriguing depth behind their All-Pro back. Second-year running back Isaac Guerendo stepped up in 2024, filling in admirably while McCaffrey and Jordan Mason battled injuries. Guerendo ended his rookie season with 572 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns.
"Isaac Guerendo did a decent job in spot duty last season, earning a 67.2 PFF rushing grade," Wasserman noted. "The team also added fifth-round rookie Jordan James, who recorded an elite 95.7 PFF rushing grade over the past two seasons at Oregon."
What do you think? Did PFF rank the 49ers' running backs too high, too low, or just right?