The San Francisco 49ers have regularly been connected to the running back position in the NFL Draft, and they picked up another rookie this offseason, taking Kaelon Black in the third round.
That pick was quite controversial at the time, as Black was expected to go much later on Day 3 and there hadn’t been a running back picked since Jadarian Price went at No. 32 overall. But head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Black was the team’s No. 2 running back in the draft, and the rookie has gotten off to a fast
start to the 2026 season.
It marked the fifth time in six years that the 49ers had drafted a running back. Only two of those five are on the active roster: Black and 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James. James was the latest selection of the five picks, as the 49ers took him in the fifth round. He missed much of his rookie season with a finger injury, and has played in just four games so far in the NFL, carrying the ball four times for 15 yards.
James was considered a solid Day 3 prospect in last year’s draft, but there was another running back the 49ers actually had their eyes on going into the draft: New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo.
Skattebo, who went to Arizona State, was taken by the Giants with the No. 105 overall pick at the top of the fourth round. At the time, there was buzz that the 49ers were interested in the running back, and that he was a target for them at No. 113 overall.
Well, former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh confirmed the interest earlier this week, noting that Kyle Shanahan ‘loved’ Skattebo and that the 49ers would’ve taken him if he hadn’t been picked.
“He’s like the old school, 2010s man hit-stick,” Saleh said of Skattebo this week. “Lower your shoulder, run people over, plays his ass off, lots of energy… We actually were about to draft him in San Francisco [last year]. Kyle loved him, and he ended up getting taken right before we were picking. I think we ended up with C.J. West, who was a pretty damn good player too. But he’s a sparkplug.”
Skattebo has quickly ascended to being the Giants starter at running back, rushing for 410 yards and five touchdowns, while catching 24 passes for 207 yards in eight games last year before a season-ending injury.
So far this season, he’s rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown in two games.
While there are a ton of similar hypotheticals in the NFL, Skattebo would’ve definitely been an interesting fit for the 49ers, and you could see the appeal. He’s a hard-nosed runner with a high motor who has also shown an affinity for pass-catching so far.
Instead of Skattebo, the 49ers took CJ West at No. 113 after taking Upton Stout at No. 100. They proceeded to take a running back in the fifth round with Jordan James instead.
