Isaac Guerendo

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows believes fourth-round RB Isaac Guerendo’s primary rookie contributions could come on kick returns.

The observation comes near the end of a glowing article on Guerendo’s potential, but it probably is the most realistic outcome for 2024. Although he’s drawn Jonathan Taylor comparisons, Guerendo never handled more than 132 carries during a marathon college career that frequently saw him battle injury, particularly to his hamstrings. Of course, Guerendo’s primary competition for No. 2 duties is Elijah Mitchell, who is maybe the most “injury prone” back in the NFL. Guerendo’s standalone rookie ceiling is change-of-pace work behind Christian McCaffrey, but he can’t completely be ruled out in the battle for No. 2 duties. That’s a valuable place to be in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.