Jeff Wilson

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.