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With the San Francisco 49ers losing Brian Robinson Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, they should be looking for a young running back to help provide depth behind the starter Christian McCaffrey.
While the 49ers probably won't target a running back early in the 2026 NFL draft, there are a few that could interest them on Day 3, including Penn State's Nick Singleton.
Singleton, 22, was a five-star recruit out of Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, Pennsylvania, before spending four years at Penn State and earning All-Big Ten honors twice. In 53 games for the Nittany Lions, he rushed for 3,461 yards and 45 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per attempt and caught 102 passes for 987 yards and nine scores.
Interestingly, ESPN's Aaron Schatz recently compared Singleton to a pair of former 49ers running backs - Israel Abanikanda and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.
Abanikanda has rushed for just 70 yards on 3.2 yards per attempt while adding another 43 yards on seven receptions in his three years in the NFL. Vaughn rushed for 388 yards and two touchdowns on 3.7 yards per attempt while catching 14 passes for another 81 yards and one touchdown.
While Singleton would likely be the second or third option in San Francisco's backfield if the 49ers did take him in the upcoming NFL draft, they'd be hoping for better production than Abanikanda and Vaughn brought.
Selecting Singleton could also create a competition with 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James, who is primed to be the team's top backup running back in 2026.
More 49ers: ESPN names 49ers as landing spot for late-round QB prospect
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Why 49ers could have interest in 45-TD RB prospect
Continue reading...
While the 49ers probably won't target a running back early in the 2026 NFL draft, there are a few that could interest them on Day 3, including Penn State's Nick Singleton.
Singleton, 22, was a five-star recruit out of Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, Pennsylvania, before spending four years at Penn State and earning All-Big Ten honors twice. In 53 games for the Nittany Lions, he rushed for 3,461 yards and 45 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per attempt and caught 102 passes for 987 yards and nine scores.
Interestingly, ESPN's Aaron Schatz recently compared Singleton to a pair of former 49ers running backs - Israel Abanikanda and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.
Abanikanda has rushed for just 70 yards on 3.2 yards per attempt while adding another 43 yards on seven receptions in his three years in the NFL. Vaughn rushed for 388 yards and two touchdowns on 3.7 yards per attempt while catching 14 passes for another 81 yards and one touchdown.
While Singleton would likely be the second or third option in San Francisco's backfield if the 49ers did take him in the upcoming NFL draft, they'd be hoping for better production than Abanikanda and Vaughn brought.
Selecting Singleton could also create a competition with 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James, who is primed to be the team's top backup running back in 2026.
More 49ers: ESPN names 49ers as landing spot for late-round QB prospect
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Why 49ers could have interest in 45-TD RB prospect
Continue reading...
