While Robert Saleh is tasked with stopping Cam Skattebo this weekend, he revealed there was almost a time when the two were on the same side.
After being asked by reporters about him at the conclusion of Wednesday’s practice, Saleh revealed that when he was in the middle of his second stint as a defensive coordinator with the 49ers, the team was eight picks away from taking him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I know coming into the draft we were actually about to draft him in San Francisco. Kyle [Shanahan] loved him,” Saleh said to reporters. “He ended up getting taken right before we were picking, and I think we ended up with CJ West, who’s a pretty damn good player too.”
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaking with his assistant coaches. AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
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Skattebo was swept up by the Giants with the 105th pick of the draft, leaving the 49ers to add to their defensive line by taking West with the 113th pick.
While Skattebo is two weeks into his second season in the NFL, he’s already emerged as one of the most physically daunting running backs in the NFL, to which Saleh called him a “Spark plug” for the Giants offense.
Former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh reveals 49ers almost drafted Cam Skattebo. AP Photo/George Walker IV
“He’s like the old school Madden 2010 hit stick: lower your shoulder, run people over,” Saleh said. “Plays his a— off, lots of energy.”
Skattebo appeared in only eight games last season and was an early candidate to win the league’s Rookie of the Year honor, by rushing for 410 yards and five touchdowns, until his season was cut short after he suffered a horrifying leg injury in Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo was almost drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After the injury, uncertainty grew about if Skattebo would ever look the same on the football field, and so far he has. Through two games, he’s already rushed for 117 yards, with one touchdown, including six first-down conversions against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
While Saleh commended West for being a good player for the 49ers’ defensive line, San Francisco’s offense would’ve loved having Skattebo paired alongside Christian McCaffrey, as they would be considered one of the best running back tandems in the NFL.
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