New 49ers RB James receives Frank Gore stamp of approval

SANTA CLARA — With the No. 147 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected a running back who had Frank Gore's blessing. Per a social media post from CEO and Owner Jed York, Oregon's Jordan James received Gore's approval. If a future HoF RB likes you, seems good enough for me — Jed York (@JedYork) April 26, 2025 "That means a lot," James said via video. "Just the caliber of player he was. That's a Hall of Fame running back right there and just to get a compliment from him on my game, that means a lot. He is actually good friends with my old running back coach. So, he knows about me. He kept in touch with me, things like that."Ohio State University running backs coach Carlos Locklyn tipped off the 49ers alum about the prospect, who also had quite a bit of contact with 49ers running backs coach Bobby Turner."Just be yourself," James recalled of Turner's advice. "He said it a lot on Zoom, just be myself. There's no right or wrong answers to any questions that he was asking me, just trying to see the type of person I was."The 49ers have a history of developing running backs into successful ball carriers, and James might already be a step ahead. The former Duck already has a...