State of the Roster: Fullbacks more interesting than usual for 49ers
With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.
There’s not much guesswork with the 49ers when it comes to the fullback position. Kyle Juszczyk has manned that spot since Kyle Shanahan arrived in 2017, and he figures to man that spot until he decides he doesn’t want to anymore.
San Francisco has had additional fullbacks in camp, though they’re always undrafted free agents. That’s the case again this year, although their UDFA fullback comes with some added intrigue.
Ultimately the 49ers are only going to roster one fullback and if they need help at the position they’ll turn to someone on the roster who can replicate at least some of what Juszczyk provides.
Let’s take a quick look at the two FBs on the 49ers’ 90-man roster:
Kyle Juszczyk
There’s a reason the 49ers have kept Juszczyk as the highest-paid fullback in the league by a wide margin over his six seasons with the club. He can operate in ways that many players are built to operate. Juszczyk is a good traditional downhill blocker, but he can also dominate on the move which provides added layers to the 49ers’ run game. They can also effectively use him as another tight end thanks to his versatility as a pass catcher. The 49ers have a lot of good players, but Juszczyk is one of the most unique and it’s reflected in the variety of ways he impacts their offense.
Jack Colletto
Colletto is far and away the most interesting second fullback the 49ers have had on their offseason roster. He did a little bit of everything in college at Oregon State where he played running back, fullback, quarterback and linebacker. Chances are that versatility won’t really come into play in the NFL, but the fact he was talented enough to handle all of those duties in college makes him a fascinating player for the preseason and training camp. San Francisco could have him focus on playing fullback and learning the position, but there’s a chance they try deploying him in some other positions to see if he can carve out a roster spot.
State of the Roster
Here are the other positions covered so far in our State of the Roster series:
