Running back JaMycal Hasty appeared in 19 games over the past two seasons after coming to the 49ers as an undrafted rookie from Baylor.
He had the best training camp of his career this summer, yet his spot on the 49ers’ depth chart is nowhere near a sure thing.
“Hasty has been solid. He’s been solid since he’s been here,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “That’s why he’s made some big plays in games. Whether it’s in the pass game, run game, he’s always tough on special teams and protection and he’s done a good job.
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"He does keep getting better and that’ll continue to happen with him.”
Hasty won the job last season as the 49ers’ third-down back. He caught 23 passes for 157 yards. Shanahan said Hasty distinguishes himself on the roster as being the best at running choice routes out of the backfield.
In two seasons, he also gained 216 yards and two touchdowns on 55 rushing attempts for a 3.9-yard average.
“Each year I just try to build off the previous year, so I think from my rookie year to now, I just keep elevating,” Hasty told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Run game. Protections. Route-running. I feel like I’ve elevated everything. I feel like my whole game is just better.”
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But as well as Hasty has performed, he faces a lot of uncertainty this week. The 49ers might have room on their 53-man roster for four halfbacks among Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr., Trey Sermon, Ty Davis-Price, Jordan Mason and Hasty.
Following the 49ers’ preseason finale against the Houston Texans, Hasty expressed no anxiety over the roster decisions that await Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
“I just control the controllables,” Hasty said, “just go out there and put your best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may."
All NFL teams must trim rosters from 80 players to the regular-season limit of 53 by Tuesday at 1 p.m.
“I won’t lose any sleep," Hasty said. "I’m confident in myself and my ability to play ball at this level. So however it goes, I know I’m going to be on somebody’s team and playing football this year.”
RELATED: How 49ers challenged Trey Sermon ahead of 2022 camp
There is a strong chance each of the 49ers’ running backs will be in the NFL this season -- either remaining with the team, moving on somewhere else or sticking around as part of the 49ers’ practice squad.
“It’s a deep room,” Hasty said. “There’s a lot of talent. Everybody can play.
“At the end of the day, I just love playing football. I love playing ball. As long as I’m playing football in 2022, I’m good.”