3 San Francisco 49ers who could be cut before Week 1

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Dec 19, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson (22) runs during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /

49ers cut candidate No. 2: Jeff Wilson, Jr., RB

49ers. Jeff Wilson, Jr.. 2. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. RB. player. 42

One thing that stands out about the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan is their ability to use just about any running back and have success. His run schemes are brilliant and allow for a multitude of players to perform well, and in 2020 it looked as though Jeff Wilson, Jr. was going to end up taking full advantage of this.

An undrafted kid from North Texas, Wilson was in his third NFL season and had 126 rushing attempts that season. He made the most of them, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, finishing with 600 yards and seven touchdowns. For good measure, he added 133 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver for them.

But in 2021, his numbers dipped. Wilson ran it 79 times for 294 yards with two touchdowns while rookie Elijah Mitchell took over as the top back. A sixth-round pick from Louisiana, Mitchell had 963 on the ground, 137 through the air, and six total touchdowns.

Looking ahead, the job is Mitchell’s to lose but he has competition in Tyrion Davis-Price, a third-round pick from LSU. There’s also Trey Sermon who was a Round 3 pick in 2021 as well as Jamycal Hasty on the depth chart.

In the end, there could be too many options for the 49ers, which could lead to Wilson looking for a new home in 2022.