Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James was selected No. 147 overall in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. How does James fit into the 49ers running back room?
Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon running back Jordan James (RB14) talks to the press during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images / Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images
Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James was selected No. 147 in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
Good news for Jordan James is that the San Francisco 49ers are one of the most run heavy offenses in the NFL under coach Kyle Shanahan. How will James fit into the running back room?
San Francisco 49ers Running Back Room
Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Jordan James will now join a 49ers running back room with Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, and Patrick Taylor Jr. The 49ers backup running back in 2024 was Jordan Mason, but earlier this offseason, Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth round pick.
The 49ers are now looking for a back that can help take the load off of McCaffrey. Mason was that for a majority of last season, but he in addition to McCaffrey, battled injury problems. Christian McCaffrey has been viewed as one of, if not the best running back in the entire NFL for the better part of a decade. The biggest issue for him has been his availability. Having a dependable run game behind him will no doubt be a big help to keeping him fresh as the season progresses.
It has been a bit of a transition for the San Francisco 49ers as they have begun to move off veteran players that helped them get to three straight NFC Championship games from 2022 through 2024. They had 11 draft picks in 2025 and will need to hit on a good amount of them if they want to get back in championship contention.
Jordan James Collegiate Career
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) is chased by Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jordan Hancock (7) during the first quarter at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Jordan James played all three of his collegiate seasons at the University of Oregon. In his three seasons, James had 2,201 rushing yards, 31 rushing touchdowns, 340 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.
James is one of 10 Oregon Ducks to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, which breaks the program record from a year ago, when eight Ducks were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The other nine Ducks that got drafted were defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr, tight end Terrance Ferguson, defensive end Jordan Burch, defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius, and wide receiver Tez Johnson.
James took over in 2024 as the lead back for Bucky Irving. Prior to 2024, Irving led the way for the Ducks rush attack before he was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Out of all rookie running backs this season, Irving arguably had the best.
James, like Irving, is a day three pick at the running back position. Will he be able to contribute at the rate that Irving did right out of the gates?