Carlos Hyde might very well be the steal of the draft. Hyde was widely considered the best running back prospect and somehow slipped to the San Francisco 49ers at the 57th overall pick. Not only is it surprising how far he fell, it was also surprising that it was the 49ers who took him. They already have Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, and Marcus Lattimore on their roster. To say they were already stacked at the running back position would be an understatement.
The kind of back that Hyde is fits perfectly with what the 49ers like to do on the ground. He’s a power back with good feet and vision and catches extremely well. He’s not going to break 80-yard runs but he’ll get his fair share of chunk yardage. Basically, he’s the same type of back as incumbent starter Frank Gore. This is why Hyde is a natural replacement for Gore, who is about to enter what is likely going to be one of his last seasons in the NFL.
Well what about Marcus Lattimore? They just drafted him last season and they’re already giving up on him? No, that’s not the case at all. But the fact of the matter is Lattimore has had some major knee injuries which raises some obvious long term concerns. Hyde will likely take about 10 carries per game away from Gore this season while Lattimore takes a few carries per game. The 49ers are most likely going to phase Hyde in as the feature back as Gore is on his way out.
At the same time they will most likely be increasing Lattimore’s carries too, creating a two-headed monster to be feared by defenses all around the NFL. With Hyde softening up defenses as the feature back, Lattimore can come in and break some longer runs than Hyde, and just when the defenses get really tired, Kendall Hunter will get his turn.
The main thing that makes Hyde the best running back on the roster once Gore is out is his hands. Hyde is an incredible pass catcher for a running back and the 49ers will utilize that as much as they can. If Vernon Davis is on the field, he will draw the attention of their best pass defending linebacker (along with a safety as well) which would leave Hyde coming out of the backfield against the opposition’s second linebacker. Against most teams that is advantage 49ers.
Look for Hyde to get a significant amount of carries almost right away. His style isn’t the style that typically takes time in the NFL. His is the kind of style that usually translates immediately and I don’t expect it to be any different this time around. Hyde has the key trait that the 49ers look for in the draft: versatility. Look for offensive coordinator Greg Roman to use that trait a lot in Hyde’s rookie season and even more in the years going forward. Hyde will be a key contributor in this offense right away, especially if the offense stalls at times like it did in 2013.