Christian McCaffrey unquestionably is the 49ers' top running back, but could Jordan Mason be on the fast track toward claiming the No. 2 spot that typically has been held by Elijah Mitchell?
In speaking to reporters after Monday's training camp practice, coach Kyle Shanahan detailed how Mason's continued growth complicates San Francisco's backfield hierarchy.
"I'd say nothing against Elijah, there's been no fall off in Elijah at all, but JP [Mason] runs at a very high level," Shanahan told reporters. "I see both of those guys that if Christian [McCaffrey is] not in there, not going, we always expect no matter who we've had in the past, that [the] No. 2, No. 3, sometimes our fourth guy comes in. If their number is called, we expect them to run like a starting back. How many reps did they get at it? How long did they last? Things like that.
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"JP wasn't there right away, but he got there pretty quick. And he did a hell of a job for us last year, and we'll see how camp plays out. I love both of those guys and got some depth behind them too."
Shanahan isn't the only one to take note of Mason's rising stock, as McCaffrey recently lauded the third-year back for evolving into a "complete" player.
"Yeah, man, I think he looks way more complete than he has been," McCaffrey said regarding Mason. "He's always been able to do it, it's just being consistent with it. And I think, you see now he's making things happen in the pass game and the run game that are just consistent with it."
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McCaffrey also noted how the 49ers' deep running back room has created a competitive atmosphere that's drawing the best out of each member of San Francisco's backfield.
"You know, we're all pushing each other, making each other better, but also being there for each other and it's a really fun room to be a part of, because you know, you want to talk about guys forcing you to be at your best, every single one of those guys right now are doing just that and makes it makes it fun to be a part of," McCaffrey said.
After signing with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Mason is averaging 5.6 yards per carry on 83 NFL attempts, with both of his professional seasons having an efficient rushing output despite the smaller workload.
Mitchell has seen his production decline over the last two years in large part due to bad injury luck, missing 18 games since the start of the 2022 season. Selected No. 194 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Mitchell made his mark as a rookie, claiming San Francisco's starting job while running for 963 yards on 207 attempts in his debut campaign.
Since Mitchell's strong rookie season, Mitchell has run for 560 yards on 120 attempts -- but maintains the same 4.7 yards per carry he averaged as a rookie during that span.
Having Mason and Mitchell healthy and available to spell McCaffrey is the ideal outcome, but for now it's anyone's guess who is first up when the 49ers' bell cow back comes off the field.
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