The San Francisco 49ers leaned heavily on RB Jordan Mason in their Week 1 win, showing the rest of the NFL that they might have an established RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey.
Mason had a career night in the 32-19 win against the New York Jets. He was a workhorse with 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown, and another touchdown was called back due to a Deebo Samuel holding penalty near the goal line.
The advanced metrics were strong for Mason, too. RBSDM had the third-year running back with 3.6 expected points added as a rusher and receiver. That was good enough for the third-best non-quarterback EPA in the game behind Jauan Jennings and Allen Lazard. Mason also had a rushing success rate of 46 percent.
Mason’s role will decrease once McCaffrey returns. However, his Week 1 performance shows he’s ready to handle an increased workload in 2024.
Who Is Jordan Mason?
He may not be a household name yet, but Mason will quickly become a popular player in fantasy football circles after his Week 1 performance.
Mason was an exciting running back for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets early in his college career. He rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons, earning third-team All-ACC honors as a redshirt sophomore.
However, injuries and the emergence of fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs had Mason take on a lesser role in his final two years with the program. He went undrafted in 2022 before signing on with the 49ers as a UDFA.
The 49ers ended up being an ideal fit for Mason. The 223-pound running back made the 53-man roster as a rookie in 2022, and he’s stuck with the team ever since. Despite limited action, he’s been an efficient runner when called upon, averaging nearly 5.6 yards per carry on 83 rushing attempts for 464 yards and four touchdowns.
Mason Brings ideal skill set to the 49ers
Along with a power-back frame, Mason shows good vision and balance to keep moving forward through contact.
The 49ers offensive line gives Mason some wide-open rushing lanes, but he also has a good feel for where his teammates are winning their blocks, allowing him to make decisive cuts while going north-south to pick up yards in chunks.