San Francisco 49ers: 5 Reasons Jimmy Garoppolo Will Live Up to the Hype

Minnesota Vikings, Jerick McKinnon
(Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 2: The Jerick McKinnon Factor

Some may have questioned why the 49ers dished out a four-year, $30 million contract to 26-year-old running back Jerick McKinnon this offseason — a runner who has never been in a featured role and has rushed for no more than 570 yards in a single season.

Well, it’s a front-loaded deal, so there’s that to chew on. But the former Minnesota Vikings tailback is more a fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense than anything else. Previously, Shanahan was hoping now-Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde would fit the bill as a dual-purpose runner and pass-catching back. Yet Hyde’s hands were anything but sure, and after leading the team with six dropped passes, Shanahan and Co. elected to move on.

McKinnon has 142 receptions over his four-year career, including 51 for 421 yards last season. As such, he immediately becomes a safety valve and mismatch weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo.

And when combined with Shanahan’s outside-zone run scheme, it’s easy to understand why San Francisco targeted the tailback in free agency. He’s a natural fit here, both in terms of the system and his own dynamic abilities.

This translates over to Garoppolo’s impact in a number of ways.

First, the obvious. Nearly every quarterback in the NFL benefits from having a strong running game. It often forces opposing defenses to play honest, not cheating up against the blitz or being overly aggressive in pressing receivers. Factoring in McKinnon’s pass-catching abilities only serves to make this offensive duo more potent.

On top of that, it sets up play action. According to Pro Football Focus, Garoppolo posted a passer rating of 101.4 on play-action passes, compared to 94.5 without.

Simply put, McKinnon’s presence should do Garoppolo wonders.

Next Page: No. 1

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