Jeff Wilson NFL Stats & News

Kyle Shanahan’s ability to make a silky smooth fantasy asset out of a sow’s ear of a prospect has never been more apparent than with Wilson. An undrafted rookie out of North Texas in 2018, Wilson failed to impress in athletic testing, running a 4.57 40-yard dash at 208 pounds at his pro day, with similarly middling results in other drills. However, he signed with the 49ers and showed enough to stick, eventually earning Shanahan’s trust as a short-yardage option. Over the last two seasons, Wilson has scored eight of his 11 touchdowns from inside the 5-yard line, though he’s also seen more and more work in other situations as the rest of the 49ers backfield has dealt with various injuries. The result was something of a mini-breakout in 2020, highlighted by a 183-yard performance against the Cardinals in Week 16. Wilson’s best trait as a runner might be sheer stubbornness. His rate of broken tackles per carry, and yards after contact per carry, were comparable to the likes of Chris Carson and Josh Jacobs. The 49ers saw enough to give Wilson to a guaranteed one-year, $2.05 million contract, but he then suffered a meniscus tear in May, requiring surgery with an estimated recovery timeline of 4-6 months. Wilson isn’t expected to be ready for Week 1, but he could make an impact later in the year if the 49ers aren’t getting enough from their other running backs — a group that includes Raheem Mostert, Wayne Gallman and rookie third-round pick Trey Sermon.

Wilson’s 2019 story had a similar opening to that of his rookie 2018 season when he began the year on the 49ers’ practice squad before being promoted to replace an injured player. The 24-year-old received fewer touches this go-around – 30 touches over 10 contests – but he emerged as a trusted goal-line back, hitting pay dirt four times from in close in his first two games following activation. The North Texas product saw his role reduced drastically once Tevin Coleman returned and Raheem Mostert exploded onto the scene. With both backs still under contract and Jerick McKinnon at the top of the depth chart, Wilson’s role in San Francisco is uncertain now that he can no longer be stashed on the practice squad.

The 49ers backfield sustained its fair share of injuries last season, which allowed an undrafted rookie off the practice squad to earn some reps as a starter. Wilson proved to be capable in the six games (three starts) for which he was active, rushing for 266 yards (4.0 YPC) and gaining 92 receiving yards on 12 receptions. The 23-year-old will find it hard to crack the active roster in 2019, as the addition of Tevin Coleman, return of Jerick McKinnon and presence of Matt Breida and special-teams ace Raheem Mostert could leave Wilson on the outside looking in.