Robert Saleh reveals 49ers were ‘about to draft’ Giants star Cam Skattebo

Robert Saleh has revealed the San Francisco 49ers were “about to draft” New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo before the NFC rivals selected him in the fourth round last year.

Saleh, now head coach of the Tennessee Titans, was San Francisco‘s defensive coordinator at the time and confirmed that Kyle Shanahan was particularly high on Skattebo.

The Giants eventually took Skattebo with the 105th overall pick, while the 49ers selected defensive lineman C.J. West seven selections later at No. 113.

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Speaking to reporters, Saleh explained just how close San Francisco came to adding the bruising running back.

“[Skattebo is] cool, man,” Saleh said. “I like him. He’s like the old-school 2010 Madden hit stick. Lower your shoulder, run people over. Plays his *** off. Lots of energy. I know going into the draft we were actually about to draft him in San Francisco.”

Saleh also revealed that Shanahan was a big admirer of Skattebo before the Giants took him off the board.

“[Kyle] loved him, and he ended up getting taken right before we were picking, and I think we ended up with CJ West, who was a pretty damn good player too. He’s a spark plug.”

Skattebo has since become an important part of the Giants’ offence. Through 10 games, he has recorded 131 carries for 527 yards and eight touchdowns, according to the supplied reference.

His role could become even more important following Jaxson Dart‘s season-ending knee injury, with Jameis Winston now taking over at quarterback.

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That change could place greater responsibility on Skattebo, particularly after he averaged 4.4 yards per carry with Dart on the field compared with 2.9 without him in the 2026 season, according to Sumer Sports.

The Giants will face Saleh’s Titans on Sunday, giving the former 49ers coach a first-hand look at the running back San Francisco nearly drafted.

For Shanahan and the 49ers, Saleh’s admission offers another reminder of just how close they came to adding Skattebo to an offence that already featured Christian McCaffrey.