Can Tevin Coleman be an X-Factor for the 49ers?

Newly acquired RB Tevin Coleman looks to be the guy for the 49ers

Coming off a disastrous 4-12 season that was riddled with injuries to some of the team’s best players, it’s safe to say that the San Francisco 49ers have holes that need to be quickly addressed.

However, one part of the team that is surprisingly deep is the running back position. After perceived starter Jerick McKinnon went down on the last day of training camp with a torn ACL, 2017 undrafted free agent Matt Breida became an unlikely star when he was tasked with the starting role.

As the season went on Breida battled through some injuries of his own, but back-ups Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. put up better than average play. This RB group is very strong— even without Jerick McKinnon— however, a healthy McKinnon makes the group that much better.

Fast forward to 2019, the 49ers sign yet another big name at the position, in former Atlanta Falcon RB Tevin Coleman. This one may have come as a surprise to some, but I will say that Coleman being signed actually makes a bit more sense than when they signed McKinnon last season. Coleman played under current 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2015-2016 in Atlanta while Shanahan was the teams offensive coordinator. I’d argue that Coleman was on Shanahan’s list of players he wanted the second he left Atlanta, it just took this long to make it happen.

Shanahan knows exactly what he is getting with Coleman, and the familiarity with the scheme will make for an easy transition. Coleman can step right in and compete to be the starter on day one. Make no mistake, they brought Coleman in to compete right away for starting snaps. His success with Shanahan has not gone unnoticed, as he put in more touchdowns under Shanahan than without him.

Coleman’s first two seasons in the NFL were under his now new head coach and his numbers showed how productive he can be in this system:

Carries – 205

Rush Yards – 912

Rush TDs – 9

Receptions – 33

Receiving Yards – 435

Receiving TDs – 3

Total yards per touch – 5.6

Keep in mind that he has only 25 games with Shanahan while also sharing carries with Pro Bowl RB Devonta Freeman. Coleman’s rushing yardage has increased every single year of his career and his most productive season in the receiving department was under Shanahan in 2016 with 421 yards.

Numbers show that when Coleman gets his opportunities he doesn’t waste them. He makes big plays when he gets the ball in his hand and according to Pro Football Focus is second among all RBs in breakaway percentage at 48.5%.

Here is a look of how Coleman’s ability can be used within Shanahan’s system.

Here, he catches the ball away from his body and in stride. Coleman lined up over a linebacker is a mismatch 100% of the time.

Again, a mismatch on a LB, runs the seam and catches the ball in stride for an easy TD.

Coleman’s receiving ability is apparent, his route running and catching ability are above average for the position. It is easy to see Shanahan loves his RBs to be involved in the passing game and it’s going to be more of the same with Coleman in San Francisco.

With his high playmaking ability, you can start to see why picking him up makes so much sense—even in a backfield that is as crowded as the 49ers. Breida played exceptionally well in 2018 and is the starter as of now. McKinnon has yet to even have a chance with this team, so he is a bit of an unknown. Based on his years in Minnesota, the film shows he is a playmaker as well. Coleman can be the guy that comes in and puts it all together to take the 49ers offense to the next level.

Regardless of who is taking the “starting” snaps and who is taking the “relief” snaps, one thing is for certain, the San Francisco 49ers have one of the scariest backfields in the NFL.