Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Kyle Shanahan faced a pivotal moment. After injuries and roster turnover (including the departure of key veterans like Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw) marred the 2024 season turning it into an underwhelming 6-11 season, the 2025 NFL Draft was supposed to be the opportunity to capitalize on the right picks. As the hallowed night arrived, an influx of names including, but not limited to edge rusher Mykel Williams, cornerback Upton Stout, defensive tackle CJ West, kept the excitement alive. Unfortunately, for some, it turned into a nightmare—a long wait for a call that never arrived. 

Cam Skattebo likes to see himself as the underdog, the diamond in the rough that not everybody has the talent to hold. “I’ve always been the underdog and nobody respects the fact that I’m the best running back in the country,” the outspoken player had said in December last year after what he considered was a Heisman Trophy snub. “Whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem,” he had also said amid the 49ers being increasingly thrown into the mix as his future. Now add to that, names like Christian McCaffrey trading virtual shout-outs with the former Arizona State Sun Devils player, and it seemed like the RB was starting to gel himself with Shanahan’s team culture quite expertly.

Not just that, Skattebo seemed like a perfect match if we look at stats: 293 carries for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns during his last season. His performance earned him First-Team All-American honors and a fifth-place finish in Heisman voting. The 49ers’ interest in Skattebo was not just because of his statistics but also his playing style, which mirrored the physicality and versatility that Shanahan values. Yet, as the picks dwindled down on Draft night, the uneasy realization of the 49ers’ actual stance pointed toward the opposite.

When they picked CB Upton Stout at 100, Skattebo’s heart broke a little more, which the 23-year-old talked more about in an appearance on an episode of St Brown podcast this week. “I actually thought I was going to end up going to San Francisco with that 100th pick. Vibes started getting high, lights started turning on, videos started turning on, and no phone call,” the player said.

“So we woke up, 9 a.m. the next morning on Saturday and we knew it was going to be within the first 10 picks because the 49ers, Giants, Tennessee and somebody else had another pick back-to-back-to-back,” Skattebo said. “And I knew one of those teams was going to take me. I didn’t know which one and then the Giants called and emotions poured,” he further revealed.

Fortunately, just four picks later, the New York Giants chose Cam Skattebo as their 4th round pick (105th overall). Talking about the same, Giants coach Brian Daboll had said to reporters back then, “Well, [Cam] plays with great contact balance. He’s tough as nails. You can use him a variety of ways. Pass game, he can catch, he can run routes, he can throw the ball, as you’ve seen on one of those, and he’s got very good vision and quick feet. He’s a 220-pound back who runs with power, toughness and has the type of personality that I think Joe did a great job of along with the scouts of bringing in guys that have a lot of toughness.”

As for San Francisco, they ultimately picked Oregon running back Jordan James at 147.

They knew what they needed if they wanted to make things easier for themselves in the future. But that is not limited to the gridiron. Experienced people need to sit in the front office, too.

Kyle Shanahan & Co. bring back an experienced front staffer

The 49ers are running it back with a familiar mind in the building. On Wednesday, they officially brought back Ethan Waugh as a personnel executive. If you know how Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch built this team, Waugh’s name probably rings a bell. He was the vice president of player personnel before leaving in 2021. During his job position, he handled everything about scouting and draft operations.

Waugh spent 18 seasons in San Francisco, gradually climbing the ladder, from personnel assistant in 2004, then Midwest regional scout, senior player personnel coordinator, and eventually director of college scouting and football systems (2018–2020). He was a bridge between eras, from Mike Nolan to Jim Harbaugh to Kyle Shanahan.

Notably, before diving into the personnel world, Waugh spent time on the sidelines at Illinois Wesleyan as offensive coordinator and QB coach, and before that, at Western Carolina. That blend of scouting and sideline experience? It matters when you’re trying to evaluate what a 20-year-old college left tackle looks like three years from now under Sunday lights.

The 49ers didn’t just bring in a seasoned front office guy. They brought back a trusted builder with a legacy in their walls and fresh perspective from time spent away. It’s a move that screams long-term continuity with a hint of unfinished business. Waugh helped build one contender. Now he’s back to do it again, maybe better.