49ers rookie Kelvin Taylor hopes to run in dad’s footsteps

49ers rookie Kelvin Taylor hopes to run in dad’s footsteps

The first five questions 49ers rookie running back Kelvin Taylor fielded Friday had to do with his dad.

[...] near the end of his interview session, Taylor was asked this:

Did he ever get sick of getting asked about his dad, Fred Taylor, who ranks 16th in NFL history in rushing yards?

After starter Carlos Hyde, the 49ers’ running-back corps consists of Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, Mike Davis and Jarryd Hayne, none of whom has more than 527 career rushing yards.

The lack of a proven backup option was highlighted last Saturday when Taylor was asked if he was familiar with the team’s running backs.

In 2015, his first as a full-time starter, he had the second-most carries (259) in Florida history, rushed for 1,035 yards, and his 13 rushing touchdowns ranked third all-time.

[...] his yards-per-carry average (4.0) was the lowest of the nine SEC running backs with at least 200 carries.

[...] running backs that can string cuts together and their feet match their eyes like he does — that’s a hard quality to find.

Taylor showed those qualities at Glades Day School in Belle Glade, Fla., where he surpassed Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith as Florida’s career high school rushing leader with 12,019 yards.

The 49ers released quarterback Dylan Thompson, guard Jordan Devey, running back Kendall Gaskins and kicker Corey Acosta to make roster room for 12 undrafted free agents.

Stanford wide receiver Devon Cajuste, Stanford linebacker Kevin Anderson, Cal receiver Bryce Treggs, Oregon offensive lineman Alex Balducci, Arizona State defensive lineman Demetrius Cherry, Colorado safety Jered Bell and Utah linebacker Jason Fanaika.

Nine of the 49ers’ 11 draft picks have signed rookie contracts.

Guard Joshua Garnett, a first-round pick, and cornerback Will Redmond, a third-rounder, have not signed deals.

The 49ers have selected a running back in every draft since 2009, with five coming from the SEC: