The San Francisco 49ers can never have enough running backs. Despite carrying Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Wayne Gallman, and JaMycal Hasty prior to the draft last offseason, the 49ers selected not one, but two backs in the 2021 NFL Draft, drafting Ohio State's Trey Sermon in the third round and Louisiana's Elijah Mitchell in the sixth round.
And, they might not be done acquiring running backs via the draft.
According to Jason Aponte, during his press conference at the NFL Combine, Georgia running back James Cook stated that the 49ers have reached out to him during the draft process.
James Cook says the 49ers have reached out to him. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/UBm41X7UPj
— Jason Aponte (@JasonAponte2103) March 3, 2022
Cook (5-11, 190) carried the football 113 times for 728 yards and seven rushing touchdowns through 15 games as a senior in 2021. He added 27 receptions for 284 yards and four receiving touchdowns, showing off the kind of versatility that the 49ers typically covet.
The running back was the Bulldogs' leading receiver in a win over Michigan in the Orange Bowl, hauling in four passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the game. Georgia went on to win a National Championship.
Cook has 1,503 rushing yards on 230 attempts with 14 rushing touchdowns and 67 receptions and six receiving touchdowns through his four collegiate seasons.
Cook may be a great fit with new assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, who was enamored with multi-dimensional running backs while with the Los Angeles Chargers and most recently, the Detroit Lions.
Last season, rookie running back Trey Sermon's snaps were limited. However, the other rookie, sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell, led the team in rushing with 963 yards, setting a franchise record for a rookie.
Three 49ers running backs—Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and Trenton Cannon—are scheduled to become free agents on March 16. A fourth, JaMycal Hasty, is scheduled to become an exclusive-rights free agent, leaving some uncertainty with the running back group heading into 2022.