The 49ers will have just two rostered running backs heading in to the 2011 season. With that, it will be most likely that they will be looking to add another through the draft if they decide not to bring back Brian Westbrook. There's also the slim chance that something will get done between the players and owners soon and the results would give options through free agency as well.
Whether it be a veteran or rookie, one thing is for sure... Frank Gore will continue to get a majority of the work load. Anthony Dixon showed last year that he is a viable option when in the red zone but beyond that he didn't really provide much else.
The bottom line is that the 49ers will almost indefinitely see another face or two at that position once the final cuts are made.
Running backs over the years have become less valuable through the draft. Unless a guy has Adrian Peterson caliber talent, which doesn't come along in every draft, most teams have been looking for talent in mid to later rounds.
The 49ers will need to look for a running back that is sound at catching passes out of the backfield.
With that, after the jump, I give you DeMarco Murray...
Murray was one of the most versatile running backs in college football. This video illustrates that perfectly. Whether it be a swing pass out of the backfield, or a run up the gut, Murray was nothing short of a spectacular college football player. I have heard comparison's drawn to the likes of players like Marcus Allen and Eric Dickerson. Although, they could be considered decent comparison's, the NFL has changed a lot since those two mentioned were playing. Based off of watching him over the last four years, it seems as though Murray has all the tools to be extremely successful at the next level.
Here are his career stats at Oklahoma:
Stats Overview
Rushing
Receiving
Fumbles
YEAR
ATT
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
REC
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
FUM
LST
2007
127
764
6.0
92
13
14
60
4.3
25
0
0
0
2008
179
1002
5.6
70
14
31
395
12.7
34
4
0
0
2009
171
705
4.1
38
8
41
522
12.7
67
4
0
0
2010
282
1214
4.3
63
15
71
594
8.4
76
5
0
0
2010 Regular Season Game Log
Rushing
Receiving
Fumbles
DATE
OPP
RESULT
ATT
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
REC
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
FUM
LST
9/4
Utah State
W 31-24
35
208
5.9
63
2
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
9/11
Florida State
W 47-17
16
51
3.2
8
2
4
52
13.0
22
0
0
0
9/18
Air Force
W 27-24
26
110
4.2
13
2
5
38
7.6
17
1
0
0
9/25
@Cincinnati
W 31-29
28
67
2.4
9
1
7
21
3.0
9
0
0
0
10/2
Texas
W 28-20
25
115
4.6
20
2
4
31
7.8
19
0
0
0
10/16
Iowa State
W 52-0
20
112
5.6
28
2
2
28
14.0
15
1
0
0
10/23
@Missouri
L 36-27
12
49
4.1
20
0
8
48
6.0
13
1
0
0
10/30
Colorado
W 43-10
11
40
3.6
16
1
10
73
7.3
16
0
0
0
11/6
@Texas A&M
L 33-19
25
80
3.2
17
1
10
67
6.7
21
0
0
0
11/13
Texas Tech
W 45-7
9
79
8.8
39
0
2
16
8.0
12
1
0
0
11/20
@Baylor
W 53-24
13
62
4.8
13
1
6
120
20.0
76
1
0
0
11/27
@Oklahoma State
W 47-41
20
80
4.0
18
0
6
41
6.8
11
0
0
0
12/4
@Nebraska
W 23-20
17
68
4.0
12
0
5
60
12.0
19
0
0
0
2010 Postseason Game Log
Rushing
Receiving
Fumbles
BOWL
OPP
RESULT
ATT
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
REC
YDS
AVG
LNG
TD
FUM
LST
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
Connecticut
W 48-20
25
93
3.7
14
1
2
-1
-0.5
0
0
0
0
Summary: After Adrian Peterson left the Sooners in 2007, Murray stepped in as a freshman and proved to the nation that the Sooners were not going to miss Peterson as much as some thought at the time. Over his career, Murray continued to progress and in his senior year at Oklahoma, he had his best overall statistical and productive year out of all four. Murray may or may not be a feature back once he hits the NFL, it really all depends on the type of offense that he is drafted to and who else is on the roster already. I believe the former Oklahoma running back will make an immediate impact for the team that drafts him. His best fit would probably be in a West-Coast offense. Even so, I fully expect him to be good no matter where he goes.
PREDICTION: 2nd - 3rd Round.