Jordan Mason went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has good size at 5-foot-11 and 223 pounds, but he runs a 4.58 40-yard dash and his college production didn’t wow. But San Francisco saw something in him and signed him as a free agent.
During his rookie season, he carried 43 times for 258 yards and a touchdown. Last season, he received 40 carries and turned those into 206 yards and three touchdowns.
With Christian McCaffrey being the workhorse that he is, not much was expected from Mason entering this season. Then Elijah Mitchell suffered an injury over the summer and Mason stood out in practices and during preseason action, where he finished with 14 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns. He was decisive, powerful and 60% of his yards came after contact.
As a result, he entered the season as the number-two running back on the depth chart. His services were needed immediately, as McCaffrey was a late scratch due to a calf injury that’s been bothering him for weeks.
In his first start, Mason got a whopping 28 carries, which he turned into 147 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry on the night. Per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Mason rushed for 30 yards over expectation, had a success rate of 46.4%, got stuffed only twice and had five runs of 10 or more yards.
The 49ers have a plethora of offensive weapons to keep defenses honest, but it’s the mad genius of Kyle Shanahan that makes everything go. Mason runs hard, breaks tackles and has garnered the trust of the coaching staff. There are going to be lanes to run through because of the offensive scheme.
Now, the question becomes is Mason the best free-agent pickup of the week? The answer is unequivocally, yes.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday Night Countdown that McCaffrey will likely miss Week 2 as well, since it will be a short week and the 49ers travel to Minnesota to play on the turf.
Even if McCaffrey plays, Mason is one of the most valuable handcuffs due to McCaffrey’s extensive injury history. The offensive system is one of the best in the league and he’s already proven that he can perform at a high level.
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