Jordan James

21-Year-Old Running BackRB
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Bucky Irving was a smash success for the Buccaneers in 2024, so James must have some amount of innate running ability after largely matching Irving's rushing production at Oregon in 2023. Selected in the fifth round by San Francisco, James (5-10, 205) probably is not as good of a receiver as Irving, and James played fewer passing-down snaps in general than Irving did at Oregon. With just 4.55 speed James will need to win with quick processing and well-anchored movements through traffic to cut out yardage despite the inability to outrun or overpower most defensive pursuers. Limited as his athleticism might be, James was a uniquely productive runner at Oregon, accumulating 2,215 yards (5.7 YPC) and 31 touchdowns on 386 carries. Both Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo have dealt with durability issues, so James might not be far from the field in a coveted Kyle Shanahan running back role. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#240.37
ADP
Signed a four-year, $4.64 million contract with the 49ers in May of 2025.
Draws early praise in camp
RBSan Francisco 49ers
July 29, 2025
James made a strong first impression on the 49ers' coaching staff during team practices this training camp, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
ANALYSIS
James was taken in the fifth round of the draft in an effort to bolster San Francisco's backfield depth after veteran backups Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason departed this offseason. The 21-year-old James stood out in padded practices, drawing praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan for his ability to "hit the holes hard" and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak for the ability to pick up blitzes. Starter Christian McCaffrey and backup Isaac Guerendo will undoubtedly sit atop the RB depth chart to start the regular season, but James has put himself in position to compete for the No. 3 role this preseason.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
San Francisco 49ers49ers 2024 RB Snap Distribution
#% of Team Snaps

35935%
22021%
16316%
15715%
30%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jordan James lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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2024 Jordan James Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Jordan James' measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 9"
 
Weight
208 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.55 sec
 
Broad Jump
117 in
 
Hand Length
9.50 in
 
Arm Length
29.75 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jordan James See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jordan James See More
More Fantasy News
Headed to Bay Area
RBSan Francisco 49ers
April 26, 2025
The 49ers selected James in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 147th overall.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Fifth-round pick in Reuter's mock
RBFree Agent
April 6, 2025
Friday's five-round mock draft from Chad Reuter of NFL.com has James going to the Dolphins in the fifth round.
ANALYSIS
Draftniks are torn on James, as Dane Brugler of The Athletic had James ranked as the 62nd overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class earlier in the offseason, but Reuter has the 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back staying on the board until well into Day 3. James lacks the top-end speed possessed by some other members of this deep running back class, but he was a reliable chain mover at Oregon in 2024, with 36.5 percent of his carries resulting in a touchdown or first down.
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