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Saleh Reveals 49ers Almost Drafted Skattebo
Developing
In Short: Titans head coach Robert Saleh revealed on Wednesday that the San Francisco 49ers almost drafted Cam Skattebo out of Arizona State last year.
Saleh, who was the 49ers' defensive coordinator in 2025, told reporters that head coach Kyle Shanahan 'loved' Skattebo.
Skeetbo, now a running back for the New York Giants, has been a standout player since entering the league last season.
In his first 10 games, Skattebo rushed for 527 yards and six touchdowns, despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury in 2025.
Saleh praised Skattebo's skill set and character, noting that pairing him with All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey could have created one of the league's premier duos.
The Titans will face the Giants in Week 3, and Saleh emphasized the importance of containing Skattebo in the upcoming game.
What this adds
The sources have not established the exact draft position where the 49ers would have selected Skattebo.
What's still developing
- Skattebo fits the identity head coach John Harbaugh wants to build with the Giants, and he’s quickly embraced the Big Apple.
- However, coming out of Arizona State, his path to entering the league almost looked radically different.
- In fact, he almost ended up right back home in Northern California, nearly drafted by the San Francisco 49ers to back up All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.
- While praising Skattebo’s skill set and character, Saleh dropped a fascinating draft nugget.
- Saleh was San Francisco's defensive coordinator in 2025 in what was his second stint in the role (he was also the 49ers' defensive coordinator from 2017-20); New York ultimately selected Skattebo with the No.
- The potential of pairing McCaffrey and Skattebo in the same backfield could've created one of the league’s premier duos, maybe even the best since the Detroit Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to team up with David Montgomery?
- Shanahan's reputation for evaluating running backs speaks volumes about Skattebo’s potential in the league.
- The Titans head coach will look for his defense to contain Cam Skattebo, who has played a heavy role in New York's offense to start the 2026 season.
- "He's cool, man," Saleh said, per Fox Sports.
- "We were actually about to draft him in San Francisco," Saleh said of the 49ers.
- Robert Saleh shared some juicy draft intel about a former employer while preparing the Tennessee Titans for a Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants.
- "Kyle loved him, and he ended up getting taken right before we were picking." The Giants took Skattebo at pick No.