You can’t start a discussion about the National Football League’s best running backs without the San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey.
The 28-year-old phenom elevated himself to new heights in 2023, garnering NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors for the first time.
But does having one of the league’s most transcendent stars earn you the No. 1 spot for the entire position group? It appears for one prominent NFL analytics site, all signs point to yes.
Pro Football Focus released their 2024 running back position group rankings on Wednesday and McCaffrey and the 49ers ranked first among all 32 teams, just ahead of the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions.
“McCaffrey generated the most PFF wins above average among running backs last season, at 0.25,” wrote PFF’s Trevor Sikkema. “Elijah Mitchell remains a very solid RB2 option with rookie Isaac Guerendo as the upside RB3. Throw All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk into the list, and the 49ers more than deserve this ranking.”
McCaffrey is coming off his second First Team All-Pro season and rushed for a career-high 1459 yards in 2023, helping the 49ers to a division title and Super Bowl appearance. He also led the NFL in touches (339), scrimmage yards (2023) and total touchdowns (21).
Obviously, the 49ers don’t care much about preseason position rankings, when the goal is to avenge a defeat in the Super Bowl, the second in Kyle Shanahan’s tenure as head coach. But it’s a nice reminder that even as Brandon Aiyuk’s standoff with the team continues, San Francisco remains stacked on offense.
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