Five keys to watch for 49ers rookie rushers Jordan James, Corey Kiner

SANTA CLARA James Jordan and Corey Kiner are the ers newest running backs and this year s entrants to an annual demolition derby Seven different running backs have served as the ers leading rusher in coach Kyle Shanahan s eight seasons Christian McCaffrey led the way emphatically in and but when Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury waylaid him last season the ers dug deep into their depth chart which no longer offers Jordan Mason and Deebo Samuel after their trades last month McCaffrey is healthy now and participating in the ers offseason project There is no greater sign of a upswing for Shanahan s offense Still contingencies are required so Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr now have competition for backup roles As McCaffrey stated last week about the roster s overall turnover Bring in the new guys and have them get up to speed as quick as workable Jordan James of the Oregon Ducks plays against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on Nov in Ann Arbor Michigan Photo by Gregory Shamus Getty Images Here are five aspects to know about the ers Jordan and Kiner HOW THEY GOT HERE Jordan was the th of running backs drafted and Kiner got overlooked despite being attending the NFL scouting combine There was a feeling amongst teams that it was such a deep class We can wait general manager John Lynch mentioned We were pleased that he was still there That s no guarantee Jordan will be here long term and the undrafted Kiner could have a say in that as new ers history reflects Joe Williams fourth round Trey Sermon third round and Ty Davis-Price third round were beat out by the ers undrafted gems a contingent featuring Matt Breida Jeff Wilson Jr JaMycal Hasty and Jordan Mason BEYOND THE NUMBERS James is -foot- and pounds with a -second -yard dash at the combine Kiner measured in at - and pounds with a -second James displayed surprising burst however when John Lynch and the ers five-man contingent visited Oregon s pro day We loved him before off tape He had more burst and acceleration than what we expected at pro day Tariq Ahmad the ers co-director of performer personnel commented Lynch described James as a powerful back Runs through tackles Does not necessarily have tremendous top-end speed but he s got dart and burst James came with the approval of Frank Gore a ers personnel advisor and their all-time leading rusher Gore was a third-round pick after his - -pound frame ran a -second I like to look at guys that kind of remind me of myself so Frank Gore is definitely one of those guys James mentioned A guy that s hard to tackle He s explosive We don t have the we re not speed guys but we get the job done James is an ideal fit for the outside zone scheme and Kiner also comes with a fierce approach A lot of teams like how physical a runner I am how I m able to break tackles fall forward after runs and pass protect and they like my ability to catch Kiner explained at the combine Oregon running back Jordan James runs from Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football match Saturday Dec in Indianapolis AP Photo AJ Mast VERSATILITY PROSPECTIVE McCaffrey s dual-threat ability is unmatched as evident by his AP Offensive Player of the Year award and yards from scrimmage The ers may not have been scouring for versatility but James and Kiner subtly offer it Again James showing at Oregon s pro day made believers out of the ers brass Dillon Gabriel the quarterback was throwing and he was one of the guys catching a lot of the routes It displayed me he has very natural hands Lynch stated At the pro day he proved he could catch the football well And he s good in pass protection as well added Josh Williams the ers director of scouting and football operations When Kiner got petitioned at the combine about his most of overlooked skill he responded My ability to catch I was thrown passes last season and I caught balls I don t drop the ball Both rookie running backs will have to prove they re reliable in pass protection before the ers deploy them in a pass-catching maximum and James drew praise from the ers for that trait Running back Jordan James goes in for a touchdown during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Autzen Stadium on Oct in Eugene Oregon Photo by Tom Hauck Getty Images GOAL-LINE ABILITY James ran for the fifth-most touchdowns in Oregon history and he scored every carries a rate that was better than the four rushers ahead of him Royce Freeman LaMichael James Kenjon Barner and Derek Loville the latter of whom was on the ers Super Bowl-winning organization James a second-round pick never scored in his career games with the ers who circulated him after the opener James scored in of Oregon s games last season with none of his touchdown runs longer than yards He scored in -of- games in behind Oregon leading rusher Bucky Irving and that included a career-best -yard go-ahead touchdown run at Stanford Kiner scored just rushing touchdowns in games at Cincinnati but he ran for scores in high school en way to becoming Ohio s third all-time leading scorer and winning the state s Mr Football crown San Francisco ers Christian McCaffrey reacts after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter of their NFC Championship Tournament at Levi s Stadium in Santa Clara Calif on Sunday Jan Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group McCAFFREY AS A MENTOR Related Articles ers bring aboard D J Humphries to beef up thin position at offensive tackle Analysis George Kittle extension proves ers are still serious about winning ers sign George Kittle to four-year extension extending his association legacy ers depth chart New-look defense dotted with top draft picks ers depth chart Is offense too familiar around Purdy McCaffrey James in his post-draft media session paid homage to McCaffrey as an elite participant and anticipated mentor It s honestly going to be an honor to go in and learn from him learn from a great running back like that McCaffrey a ninth-year veteran out of Stanford mentioned last week that he ll temper any advice rather than overwhelm rookies relying on running backs coach Bobby Turner A lot of times my answer is I m getting coached by the same guy you re getting coached by I learn just as much from Coach T as they will McCaffrey stated They re being thrown so much information so sometimes more information as a back isn t good But I definitely give my two cents where I feel it might be needed It doesn t matter what year you are as a running back you learn from these young guys too McCaffrey added They re coming off from college The event evolves You can learn from them too Neither James nor Kiner missed a match the past two seasons that durability is sure to be tested in the NFL