Jordan Mason #41 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

It’s a crowded group at the 49ers running back position, but Jordan Mason has made a compelling case to be on the roster come Week 1.

With the 2022 preseason under way, the time is getting near for the San Francisco 49ers to begin trimming the squad to 53 men to form the roster for Week 1.

One of the more intriguing stories to come around every preseason is if an undrafted free agent makes the team. Head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t averse to UDFAs making the team either with running backs JaMycal Hasty, Jeff Wilson, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley a few of the notable players in recent years to make the team.

This year, there are a few decent UDFAs to keep an eye on, but running back Jordan Mason out of Georgia Tech has been turning heads in training camp and had a decent showing in the first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

Read More: 49ers roster bubble watch in the wake of preseason win vs. Packers

Mason had six carries for 30 yards in the game and showed a good account for himself in the practices, too. He has a good cut move and excellent acceleration, and he’s a good size at 5-foot-11 and 223 pounds for the pros.

Where Mason also could figure in is as a receiver. The Niners don’t really have a good receiving back in their running back corps, but Mason has popped up as a receiver in training camp. To add a receiving back in the rotation would give quarterback Trey Lance an extra safety valve in his first season as a starter.

There’s four running backs who will be definitely part of the roster. Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon, Ty Davis-Price and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (yes, he counts) are assured spots on the roster for 2022. Mason is fighting Hasty and Wilson for the fourth running back spot, and neither of them has shown a knack of either being a receiving back or staying healthy.

Mason still has some work to do. He might be a potentially exciting new addition to the lineup, but he doesn’t have the familiarity to the offense that Hasty and Wilson have.

But, if Mason continues at the level he’s built himself up to in this preseason, don’t be surprised if Mason slips onto the roster as the fourth running back and designated receiving back.

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