SANTA CLARA, Calif. — This is embarrassing. When I ranked the 49ers’ undrafted rookies on May 1, I placed Jordan Mason at the very bottom of the list.
Oof.
As I saw it back then, there were bigger-named rookies at needier positions. For example, the 49ers helped convince Dohnovan West to sign via $100,000 in guarantees, and his position, center, seemed a lot more critical to fill than running back, Mason’s spot. At the time, the 49ers had Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr., Trey Sermon and JaMycal Hasty, and they had just drafted Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round.
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Mason? He was the second-best running back on his college team and he got only a modest bonus to sign with the 49ers. That’s why he was on the bottom.
Today, of course, that seems silly. Mason has been the team’s No. 2 tailback and its designated closer, and he’s been more valuable to the 49ers than Davis-Price this season. West, who topped the undrafted list? The team waived him on Aug. 29 and he’s currently listed as an offensive lineman for the XFL’s Vegas Vipers.
Where exactly does Mason stand among all of the rookies, including the nine draft picks? Here’s a re-ranking of what’s shaping up to be an impressive class. (You might be able to guess who is first). The list is largely based on how much each rookie has played this season and also discusses the player’s future fit.
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329 snaps (329 offense, zero special teams)
Purdy has looked a lot like Jimmy Garoppolo as far as operating the 49ers’ short and intermediate passing game, and his ability to escape collapsing pockets and to deliver deep balls has been better than Garoppolo’s.
Purdy, the final pick of the seventh round, was going to be part of the offseason mix no matter what happened during his rookie season. The fact that Garoppolo is headed for free agency and Trey Lance just had a second ankle surgery — not to mention that Purdy is 4-0 as a starter — means there’s a strong chance Purdy begins the offseason as the team’s top quarterback.
755 snaps (683 offense, 72 special teams)
Burford, a fourth-round pick out of Texas-San Antonio, was on his way to starting every game this season — a real rarity on a Kyle Shanahan-coached team — when he sprained his ankle in Week 13 and missed the following game. Burford regained his spot the following week and, with veteran Daniel Brunskill filling in for Aaron Banks at left guard Sunday, Burford figures to play every snap at right guard in the finale.
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Because Brunskill and center Jake Brendel are scheduled for free agency in March, the composition of next season’s offensive line is fuzzy. Still, Burford’s rookie season has been impressive, and he figures to be the favorite for the right guard job next season.
327 snaps (315 defense, 12 special teams)
Most of the 49ers’ defensive ends will be free agents in March, which means that Jackson, a second-round pick from USC, is in the running to be the starter opposite Nick Bosa this season.
He certainly has the raw materials to become a bookend for Bosa. His athleticism stands out, though he probably needs to add a power-rushing element to his attack. He hasn’t recorded a sack since Oct. 16.
Drake Jackson, the 49ers’ top pick in the 2022 draft, has shown some flashes as a rookie. (Kyle Terada / USA Today)4. RB Jordan Mason
296 snaps (68 offense, 228 special teams)
Mason got his shot at running back because he dedicated himself to special teams early in the season and was in uniform at a time when the 49ers ran low on runners. He made the most of his opportunity, grinding out end-of-game yards when defenses were geared to stop him.
Mason would be behind Christian McCaffrey and Mitchell on any 2023 depth chart. But considering how quickly the 49ers have gone through tailbacks in previous seasons, he’ll be a valuable part of the mix.
First-career TD for @jpmason27 ‼️
📺: #SFvsLV on FOX
📱: NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/COIOM6SBAf
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 2, 2023
352 snaps (138 defense, 214 special teams)
It seems like the 49ers’ fifth-round magic will continue with Womack, who was taken with the 172nd pick out of Toledo. Womack beat out veteran Darqueze Dennard at nickel cornerback in the summer and he started the Week 1 game in Chicago.
In recent weeks, he’s also been a backup outside cornerback and has been competing with Ambry Thomas to be the first cornerback to come off the bench in case of injury. With current nickel cornerback Jimmie Ward heading for free agency, Womack has a shot at becoming the top nickel heading into the 2023 offseason.
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6. RB Tyrion Davis-Price
81 snaps (62 offense, 19 special teams)
The 49ers are far more content with Davis-Price, a third-round pick out of LSU, than they were Sermon, a third-round pick out of Ohio State, at this point last season. Davis-Price and Mason need to become more reliable in passing situations, but both run extremely hard and are solidly in the mix for next season.
87 snaps (70 offense, 17 special teams)
The third-rounder from SMU showed his elite speed on a 76-yard touchdown from Lance in the preseason but hasn’t had much of an impact since. Part of the issue is that Gray has made regular appearances on the injury report, including spraining his ankle in warmups before the Week 10 game against the Chargers. That, plus playing behind the ultra-fit Brandon Aiyuk, means he’s never had any opportunity for a solid block of playing time.
Gray needs to make a leap before his second season. He has a pair of excellent role models in Deebo Samuel and Aiyuk, both of whom parlayed laser-focused offseasons — Samuel in 2021 and Aiyuk in 2022 — into career-best production.
Outside of his long preseason touchdown, it’s been a quiet rookie campaign for Danny Gray. (Stan Szeto / USA Today)No snaps
The 49ers have until Tuesday to activate Davis, a sixth-round pick from Central Florida, from the non-football injury list. If they don’t, it doesn’t mean his last three weeks of practice have been a bust. Davis said Thursday’s session was his best yet since tearing an ACL in 2021 and that his confidence in his knee and his conditioning are strong.
That ought to send him into the offseason with momentum. Even though he played no snaps this season, Davis promises to be a big part of the offseason mix because so many of the team’s current defensive tackles — including Hassan Ridgeway, Kerry Hyder Jr., Charles Omenihu and Maurice Hurst — will be free agents in March.
Kalia Davis is donning the special jersey, meaning he was one of the 49ers’ scout team players of the week. SF has until Tuesday to activate Davis from the NFI list pic.twitter.com/M9VLiphHJU
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 6, 2023
9. LB Marcelino McCray-Ball
No snaps
McCrary-Ball ranked second to last on the preseason ranking of undrafted players. (The crystal ball obviously was malfunctioning that day). He ended up outlasting two other undrafted linebackers, Jeremiah Gemmel and Segun Olubi, and has been on the practice squad all season.
He also seems to have a shot of landing a spot on next year’s 53-man roster considering that strongside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and special teams ace Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (restricted free agency) are headed for free agency. Oren Burks likely will be Fred Warner’s backup at middle linebacker. McCrary-Ball has the speed — he ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at his pro day — to be a core special teamer as well as to be a candidate at strongside linebacker and backup weakside linebacker.
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16 snaps (1 offense, 15 special teams)
The sixth-round pick from Fordham has been an emergency backup at guard this season. This week he’s been getting some snaps at center as well. He’ll likely get repetitions at both spots when practices resume in the spring and could be even more valuable at center depending on what happens with Brendel and Brunskill in free agency.
No snaps
The undrafted rookie from Mercer worked his way up to the second-string offensive line in the offseason and the 49ers held onto him all season via the practice squad. Burford and Banks seem like the starting guards for the future, but Poe could compete for a backup spot next season and also could get more snaps at center depending on what happens in March.
Jason Poe has spent this season on the practice squad, but could be in the mix next season. (Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Images)No snaps
Knight, who went undrafted out of UCLA, is another rookie the 49ers stashed on their practice squad for the full season. He can play three positions — safety, outside cornerback and nickel cornerback. A lot of players at those spots are scheduled for free agency: cornerbacks Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett and Janoris Jenkins; safeties Tashaun Gipson Sr., Tarvarius Moore.
21 snaps (1 offense, 21 special teams)
That the 49ers kept Martin around all season strongly suggests he’ll be part of their offseason mix. Teams like to go into the offseason with at least 10 wideouts. As it stands now, the 49ers have five under contract for next season.
No snaps
Watson, an undrafted rookie who played with Burford at Texas-San Antonio, is a converted tight end, which makes him a project. But the fact that the 49ers signed him in early September and kept him on the practice squad from that point forth signals they believe he’s worth the effort. The team likes tackles who can move. Watson’s 4.91-second 40-time is slow for a tight end but strong for an offensive tackle. Watson is up to 313 pounds.
No snaps
Hawkins, an undrafted defensive back from San Diego State, lands at the bottom of our list, a sure sign he’ll have a major role in 2023. (In all seriousness, the only safety on the roster who is locked in for the near future is Talanoa Hufanga. That means any other young player at that spot has a shot.)
(Photo of Brock Purdy and Spencer Burford: Jeff Bottari / Getty Images)
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