Isaac Guerendo

An underrated addition/invitee to the NFL Combine, Isaac Guerendo was way off the radar until he blazed a 4.33 40-yard dash and jumped a 41.5″ vertical/ 129″ broad jump. His workout-warrior NFL Combine performance alone will get the 6-foot, 221-pounder easily drafted with his size/speed profile.

Diving deeper into Guerendo's profile, it's not surprising he was so under the radar even though he was invited to test at the combine.

He never got the opportunity to break out at Wisconsin, sitting behind fellow draft-eligible running back Braelon Allen. His 9% career dominator rating pales in comparison to almost every other RB in the class. His final and lone season at Louisville, however, paints the picture of an RB who might be able to make some noise. He posted a 19% dominator rating with 11 TDs while catching 22 of his 24 targets for 234 yards (10.6 yards per reception). He split touches with incumbent starter Jawhar Jordan at Louisville. But Guerendo was more efficient on fewer carries forcing nearly the same amount of missed tackles despite 50 fewer carries than Jordan. His yards after contact per attempt ranked inside the top 20 in the nation in 2023 and the seventh-best in the class.

The 49ers traded up to draft the super athletic Isaac Guerendo in the 4th round. I'd like to think that Elijah Mitchell is dialed in as CMC's handcuff, but Guerendo's addition creates some doubt.

An upright rusher, Guerendo is a linear runner with an average burst and home run speed. If he gets into the open field, he can take it to the house. His pad level can get him into trouble at the point of contact. He's not a pile pushing back despite his size because of his pad level. He can get lit up at the point of contact and carries near the goal line. If he can tweak his running style, he could unlock more power to finish his runs. With his upright running style, he isn't the most fluid mover laterally. He will deploy the occasional jump cut, but his lateral skills are more limited. He should be deployed in a gap-heavy scheme, and just ask him to hit the hole and get downhill. With limited playing time until 2023, towards the end of the 2023 season, Guerendo started playing with more confidence. Instead of blindly following his blocks into clogged running lanes, he began to free-lance some and utilize his speed to his advantage. He started bouncing the occasional run outside and utilizing his 4.3 wheels. Guerendo was a reliable check-down option in college, securing 87.5% of his targets. He displays soft hands and adjusts to throws outside his frame easily. He will likely never be a top-shelf route runner because of his tight hips, but there's more pass-game upside here than we have seen so far. His size/speed combination plays better as a receiver in space. Once he gets going, he can be tough to corral. Dynasty Outlook: The 49ers selected the 6'0", 220lb back with 4.3 speed in the fourth round of this year's draft. It's a yearly tradition for the 49ers to take a back on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. This one makes a ton of sense for their zone run scheme while also factoring in that Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason are both free agents after this season. Guerendo could be the primary backup to Christian McCaffrey as soon as 2025, while also mentioning that McCaffrey will be a free agent in 2026. Guerendo's per-carry efficiency and pass-game upside are quite interesting, and with a landing spot that has sneaky upside like this, he is a perfect third-round dice roll in rookie drafts.