The San Francisco 49ers sound like a team ready to shock the world on draft day.
That, or the 49ers are really going the extra mile with draft smokescreens.
According to Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, the 49ers are ready to move on from featured running back Carlos Hyde, perhaps by taking a running back at No. 2:
Sources with knowledge of the situation tell me the San Francisco 49ers are very high on Fournette and are seriously considering using the second pick of the draft to acquire him. The new front office wants a bigger back to run the offense and they’re ready to give up on Carlos Hyde, who has had his struggles staying healthy since being drafted by the franchise in 2014.
Hyde hasn’t been ineffective by any means. He’s averaging 4.3 yards per carry over his three years in the league with 1,791 yards and 13 touchdowns. The problem is his inability to stay healthy, as he’s only played in 14, seven and 13 games.
A physical runner who gains his yards by mowing down defenders is a liability if his body can’t withstand the rigors of his approach. The 49ers going out at No. 2 and grabbing Leonard Fournette seems like a reach, but he’s at least a similar mold to Hyde and the offense won’t have to change much.
Maybe a running back at No. 2 is a major smokescreen, and if it is, kudos to the 49ers. But given his injury history, one can’t help but feel the tidbit about Hyde has some serious truth to it.
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