What It Means:

According to Barrows, McKinnon has "been pushing his surgically repaired knee more strenuously than he did last year, and so far it's responded". McKinnon's time in San Francisco has been nothing short of a disaster due to injuries, with two entire seasons missed since arriving from the Minnesota Vikings in free agency back in 2018. The positive for McKinnon is that Kyle Shanahan is known for changing his backfield and not sticking with an established order, so the door is always open to a productive return. Tevin Coleman has battled his own injuries in the past, and with Raheem Mostert engaged in trade/contract discussions, a healthy McKinnon could have a role to play in the upcoming season if things fall a certain way.

McKinnon is the RB70 in numberFire's preseason rankings. Our models project him for 53.0 carries for 214.4 rushing yards and 2.0 rushing touchdowns along with 8.1 receptions (10.8 targets) for 57.9 receiving yards.