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With a roster as deep and talented as the San Francisco 49ers have in recent seasons, it wasn’t always necessary for them to get large-scale contributions from all of their starting players. But with this year’s roster decimated due to injuries, the 49ers’ rookies have all had to play important roles — and they continue to deliver when called upon.

Every member of the 49ers 2024 draft class has made their presence felt at some point this season, except offensive lineman and sixth-round pick Jarrett Kingston, who did not make the initial 53-man roster. In Sunday night’s 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys, it was wide receiver and first-round pick Ricky Pearsall and running back/fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo who had to step into the clutch, and both did just that, with Pearsall contributing four catches for 38 yards and a run of 39 yards, while Guerendo finished with 14 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Pearsall made his NFL debut a week ago after missing time recovering from a gunshot, while Guerendo hasn’t always been needed on offense due to the emergence of Jordan Mason, who has picked up the bulk of the carries while Christian McCaffrey is recovering from Achilles tendonitis. . But with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk out for the season due to a knee injury and Mason suffering a shoulder injury Sunday night, Pearsall and Guerendo had to make their mark and play a major role in helping the 49ers earn a victory over the Cowboys. .

“That’s a great rookie class,” linebacker Fred Warner said Sunday night. “I don’t think you can talk about it enough.”

Guerendo’s contributions in particular proved crucial on Sunday evening. Guerendo saw just 12 carries through the first five weeks of the season, but over the past three games he has shown he can be counted on when needed after rushing for 99 yards on 10 carries in a win over the Seahawks in Week 6 before holding the lead. running back duties in Mason’s absence against the Cowboys.

“I’m extremely happy for him, the way he comes to work every day and the chip he has on his shoulder,” quarterback Brock Purdy said of Guerendo after the win. “Humble guy, he always asks questions and wants to make sure he does everything right. So if he does what he’s doing now for our team, I couldn’t be happier for him. And I understand – because he’s a rookie , coming in with some big names in the group and everything, you can be impressed in a way. But he doesn’t care; he grabs the ball and runs hard, so I appreciate that about him.”

Initially, it was difficult to know what to expect from Guerendo as a running back this season, given the depth the 49ers had in the backfield and the fact that he missed an extended period in the preseason due to hamstring issues. But with McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and now Mason dealing with injuries, Guerendo has sprung into action and now appears ready for whatever the 49ers need him to do.

“I think he’s learned from every run he’s made,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win. “There’s a couple of runs earlier in the year that he did well on, but you know, we judge him pretty harshly, everyone pretty harshly. He had a couple of four-yard runs where we thought he could have gone seven yards. We’re going pretty hard for him and then you see how he puts that into practice. With everything we’ve really pushed him with, he’s not really a sensitive guy. He’s very detail-oriented and he’s very ready for a newcomer. He’s not too big for him. He didn’t have much of a preseason, but once he got healthy there and throughout the year, I feel like he’s gotten better every week.”

Guerendo’s stock may decline once McCaffrey returns, but he doesn’t seem concerned about that.

“He did his best to come back,” Guerendo said of McCaffrey in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area on Sunday. “I can’t wait for him to get back. He’s a great guy to learn from. So being able to ask him as many questions as possible, whatever my role is, just continue to embrace that.”

Pearsall, on the other hand, is likely just at the beginning of what will be a huge factor for the 49ers due to Aiyuk’s injury. Fortunately, he adapted quickly, telling reporters he made a big jump from last week to this week after spending more time in practice with Purdy.

“Much more comfortable,” said Pearsall, who also missed time in preseason as he battled hamstring and shoulder problems. “I think I will feel even more comfortable in the coming weeks. I only had four full speed workouts in total, because you really only get two full speed workouts a week, so it’s only up to par. from here.”

The 49ers have had one rookie earn a full-time starting role in guard and third-round pick Dominick Puni, and another filling in for an injured starter (Talanoa Hufanga) in safety and fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha. Cornerback and second-round pick Renardo Green has also impressed, while fourth-round pick Jacob Cowing has been one of the team’s return specialists and linebacker and seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune has played a role on special teams. Add Pearsall and Guerendo to the mix and this year’s draft class is one that has been invaluable from top to bottom.

“We went into this year thinking it would be very difficult for a lot of rookies to earn starting positions, which is exactly where our team was,” Shanahan said. “But we believed they would really give us some depth. You hope for some luck and stuff and you don’t have to get that, but that hasn’t happened in all areas. And luckily a lot of those guys are.” Players have shown it in pre-season and when their number was called they all came in and did their job and they are all getting better as well.”

With the 49ers sitting at 4-4 and tied atop the NFC West as they head into the second half of the season, they’re hoping the best is yet to come from their rookie class. That may have to be the case regardless of whether the team has better luck with injuries.

“It’s so hard to be a rookie in the NFL,” Warner said. “And all those guys playing at such a high level now, it’s been great to see. And they’ve all come in with the right mentality, following everyone’s lead, and we’re going to need them in the future.” second half of the season.”