San Francisco 49ers signed an undrafted free agent that the rest of the NFL made a mistake not selecting in the 2025 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers added eleven players through the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.They have also added multiple undrafted free agents to finish up their rookie class. I, for one, am still shocked that one of their UDFAs, in particular, wasn't drafted.  The 49ers signed Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner who went undrafted in […]

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer
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Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on after losing to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
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The San Francisco 49ers added eleven players through the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

They have also added multiple undrafted free agents to finish up their rookie class. I, for one, am still shocked that one of their UDFAs, in particular, wasn't drafted. 

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The 49ers signed Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner who went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft

Cincinnati Bearcats running back Corey Kiner (21) runs to the 1-yard line in the second quarter of the NCAA football game between Cincinnati Bearcats and TCU Horned Frogs at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
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Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner signed with the 49ers after surprisingly not hearing his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft. Nearly every highly respected NFL Draft analyst gave him a draftable grade, but he did not end up being one of the 25 RBs drafted. 

Kiner began his college career at LSU in 2021 before transferring to Cincinnati for his final three years. In his first year with the Bearcats, he was a role player behind the starter, Charles McClelland. He took over the running game for his final two years and put up back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons. His lack of game-changing speed may limit his overall ceiling as a player. But he sheds tackles at a high rate and is very patient in the backfield to let holes develop. 

The 49ers drafted Oregon's Jordan James in the fifth round, which becomes one of a few direct competitors with Kiner to make San Francisco's 53-man roster. They obviously have their starter in place with Christian McCaffrey returning, but the snaps behind him seem up in the air. Kiner's hard-nosed running style would complement McCaffrey's speed and shiftness out of the backfield. So even though James was drafted and Kiner wasn't, I think this battle could be tighter than people realize. 

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