The 49ers drafted a running back in the third round for the second straight year.
After selecting Drake Jackson with their first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers added running back Tyrion (Ty) Davis-Price out of Louisiana State with the 93rd overall pick. For the second-straight year, the Niners opted to target a running back in the late third round.
Davis-Price has good size as he’s 6’, 211 pounds. He’s known for his speed, power, and finishing runs. The biggest knock on Davis-Price is that he must work on his vision and patience in approaching the hole. The 49ers feel like that’s something they can work with Davis-Price on, considering they’re drafting him this high.
Davis-Price rushed for 1,003 yards on 211 carries (4.8 yards per carry) and six touchdowns this past season at LSU. While he had received playing time in each of his three years on campus, Davis-Price was never a top option until this year. Still, Davis-Price amassed 1,929 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns across 35 games.
Davis-Price won’t wow you with his receiving ability, but he has good communication in pass protection and knows where to be. So, we could be looking at the third-down back. Expect Davis-Price to keep Trey Lance upright. He doesn’t bring much to the table as far as a receiver out of the backfield goes.
LSU ran a gap scheme, and that’s not what Kyle Shanahan relies on. It’s an interesting fit, to say the least. We’ll see what the 49ers have planned for Davis-Price. This can’t be a good sign for Trey Sermon, who the Niners traded up for a year ago in the third round.
If Deebo doesn’t want to be known as a running back, this draft pick sure helps. That was the Niners’ go-to back down the stretch. This selection should preserve the health of the current runners and keep Samuel at receiver.
Big Board Rankings:
ESPN: 175
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com): Unranked (out of 150)
PFF: 172
Danny Kelly (The Ringer): Unranked (out of 100)
Dane Brugler (The Athletic): 168
Center, guard, safety, and nickel corner are the most glaring holes left on the 49ers roster, but they do have some questions about their depth at tackle, tight end, wide receiver, and running back.
Here are the 49ers remaining picks: 105, 134, 172, 187, 220, 221, 262