The San Francisco 49ers underwent a significant overhaul this offseason on the offensive and defensive sides of the football. Interestingly, it seems the team still isn’t finished trimming and tweaking the roster.
After an impressive 2025 NFL Draft saw the 49ers select Oregon running back Jordan James in the fifth round with the 147th overall pick. To make room, San Francisco is now being predicted to trade a fourth-round running back from the 2024 Draft.
49ers Predicted To Trade Isaac Guerendo After Drafting Jordan James in the 2025 NFL Draft
Christian McCaffrey is the 49ers’ clear bell-cow running back. However, with him turning 29 years old before the season, coupled with his long injury history, the 49ers desperately need depth at the position. That’s why they invested a fifth-round pick in James.
Guerendo was expected to be the top backup, but recent moves suggest otherwise. In addition to drafting James, San Francisco signed Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner who was PFSN’s top-ranked UDFA running back. These additions likely spell the end of Guerendo’s stay in San Francisco, allowing PFSN’s Sterling Xie to speculate on a potential trade.
“Kiner is intriguing not only because of his pre-draft rank, but also because of his experience in the Bearcats’ zone running scheme,” Xie wrote. “That should make him a solid fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense and give Kiner a better chance of making the final roster than most undrafted rookies. With two locks in Christian McCaffrey and James, there are likely only a couple spots left in the backfield.”
Guerendo could be the odd man out in San Francisco, according to Xie. He pointed to the fact that 24-year-old running back tends to “dance” at times instead of powering straight ahead on runs.
“Guerendo should still be viewed as a favorite to earn one of those spots,” Xie wrote. “Still, it’s interesting that the 49ers added a pair of rookies known for their decisive running styles. For all his physical gifts, Guerendo’s tendency to dance was frustrating at times, as he was an extremely boom-or-bust option in a small sample of carries. His athleticism should carry the day if he’s improved his decisiveness this offseason, but the 49ers have some other options if Shanahan doesn’t trust Guerendo with the RB2 role.”
James and Kiner indeed are the decisive zone-scheme runners, while Guerendo often frustrated the coaching staff by tapping his feet behind the line of scrimmage. He was stuffed on 19% of his runs in 2024, which was the highest rate among 49ers running backs. He had a boom-or-bust feel despite averaging 5.0 yards per attempt.
Guerendo might be more physically talented than the rookies, but the new additions suggest the 49ers want a more consistent runner behind McCaffrey. If he can’t adapt, a trade is on the cards sooner or later.
This is ridiculous.