49ers Draft RB Jordan James in the Fifth Round

By Shane Hallam | Updated on Sat, Apr 26 2025 6:37 PM UTC

The 49ers selected Oregon RB Jordan James with the 147th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. James is one of the youngest players in the entire class. (He turned just 21 in March.) After splitting carries with Bucky Irving in 2023, James moved up to the 1A in the Oregon offense in 2024. The result: 1,267 yards and 15 TDs, good for 90.5 rushing yards per game and 1.07 TDs per game. His advanced metrics weren’t as rosy, though. Among 82 RBs with 150+ carries, James ranked 61st in yards after contact per attempt and 37th in Pro Football Focus Elusive Rating. Like most backs at Oregon, he’s shifty with great deep speed and receiving ability. He isn’t on the same level as Irving, but James has room to improve given his young age.

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

The 49ers replace Jordan Mason with another physical runner who can fit their zone blocking scheme.

James isn't the best athlete, but he is a good receiver who cut into Bucky Irving's playing time at Oregon

This is also good news for RB Isaac Guerendo who likely sticks as the back-up to Christian McCaffrey

Dynasty Impact

James fits the 49ers scheme well as a one-cut runner with solid vision and movement skills.

He could be worth an end of the roster depth stash due to the injury history of RBs Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo.

Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.