Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Isaac Guerendo carried the football 132 times during his final collegiate season, rushing for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns. It marked the most carries the Louisville running back had during a single season throughout his college career.
Consistently finding himself behind another running back on the depth chart, Guerendo started only one game in college, which might seem like a negative to some evaluators. However, the San Francisco 49ers were willing to see what the young running back could do at the professional level, making him a fourth-round draft pick.
"I've played with a lot of great backs, been in a lot of great rooms," Guerendo told reporters on Thursday after reporting to the 49ers for the rookie minicamp.
The rookie doesn't perceive his limited experience as a negative. Instead, Guerendo believes it has mentally prepared him for his transition into the NFL, where he will likely find himself behind others, like star Christian McCaffrey, on the 49ers' depth chart.
"A lot of these guys have been the feature guy pretty much since they were young," Guerendo explained. "They were the guy at their high schools, and they were the guy at their colleges. But I think, for me, it kind of gives me a leg up in the sense that what are these guys gonna do when they aren't the starter? How are they gonna handle that? How are they gonna move forward with that?"
Guerendo has already experienced that scenario. However, that doesn't mean he won't strive for playing time.
"I'm going to continue to work hard with whatever it is, but just continuing to embrace that role," Guerendo stated.
The rookie acknowledges that watching from the sideline can be frustrating. Understandably, Guerendo wants to contribute to his team's success. He commented, "But I think if I were to let it bother me, it probably wouldn't allow me to be ready for those moments when I did get them. So I just continued to have that patient mindset so that I could be ready for those moments."
Guerendo also recognizes that fewer carries in college means less wear and tear. This can be advantageous given the workload that NFL running backs often face.
"I like to think of it as a positive more than anything," Guerendo said. "People talk about tread on tires, stuff like that. I think that's an advantage for me. And I think it also kind of leaves out there—I feel like I still have yet to play my best ball. So, continuing to progress and become a better player. I think that's the exciting thing about it. But I'm going to continue to attack and embrace whatever role I'm given."
Do not use the comments to notify us of errors in the article. Editors may not see it. Instead, report errors here.
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers Rookie Minicamp Notebook: Video highlights, rookie quotes and more
By Kirk Larrabee
May 10
Around 40 players were at 49ers facilities in Santa Clara on Friday as the team held its annual rookie minicamp, which featured the team's 2024 draft class along with a crop of tryouts and undrafted signings.
Reporters were allowed to watch minicamp and met afterward with offensive lineman and third-round draft pick Dominick Puni, wide receiver and fourth-round draft pick Jacob Cowing, and linebacker and seventh-round draft pick Tatum Bethune. Here's a wrap-up of the highlights and observations posted by reporters to social media, along with some quotes of note to come from the three rookies after practice.
All eyes on Pearsall
The main attraction on Friday was wide receiver and first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall, who drew some praise for his
49ers sign 6th-round draft pick Jarrett Kingston to 4-yr, $4.16 million rookie deal
By David Bonilla
May 15
The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly signed former USC offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston to his rookie four-year deal. The team made him a sixth-round draft pick, selecting him 215th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. This leaves wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the team's first-round selection, as the only unsigned 49ers draft pick.
According to OverTheCap.com, Kingston's four-year contract is worth about $4.16 million. This includes a signing bonus of approximately $138,000 and a 2024 salary-cap hit of about $830,000.
When asked about his pre-draft evaluations, Kingston said, "I feel like I am athletic. I think whatever like the ratings were, but I feel like I'm really athletic. I think my background playing all these different positions, like defensive and tight
NFLPA Rookie Premiere showcases Ricky Pearsall in full 49ers uniform
By David Bonilla
May 18
The San Francisco 49ers first-round draft pick, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, is in Los Angeles this weekend for the NFLPA's annual Rookie Premiere. This event provides invitees from the NFL's incoming rookie class an opportunity to network and engage with NFL partners for potential marketing deals.
The NFL and NFLPA shared videos of the rookies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as they take the field in their full team uniforms for photo opportunities. Pearsall can be seen in these videos.
Group 2️⃣ is fitted.
Why ESPN views 49ers as a perfect fit for Malik Mustapha
By David Bonilla
May 10
ESPN's Matt Bowen recently analyzed 16 rookies from the 2024 NFL Draft whom he believes landed in perfect scenarios. Bowen considered traits, scheme, playcalling tendencies, and coaching in his assessment. One player from the San Francisco 49ers' recent draft class made the cut.
The Niners selected safety Malik Mustapha out of Wake Forest in the fourth round with the 124th overall pick. The pairing of Mustapha with the Bay Area team, known for its physical defense, has Bowen intrigued.
"Mustapha will compete for playing time in the 49ers' secondary," Bowen stated, "where he'll fit as an instinctual split-field safety
