Photo: John Hefti, AP

Last season, Matt Breida was in select company.

This offseason, there was some question about whether the 49ers’ running back would be on the 53-man roster.

Yes, Breida was the subject of a bizarre question: Would he be on the team after he was on NFL leaderboards last year?

The subject was raised in March after the 49ers signed running back Tevin Coleman to a two-year, $8.5 million contract. He joined a backfield that included Breida and Jerick McKinnon, who missed 2018 with a torn ACL after signing a four-year, $30 million deal.

Amid speculation that a running back would be released or traded, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters in March that having three capable ballcarriers is a luxury, not a problem. And Breida echoed that sentiment Wednesday after an offseason practice at the team facility.

“They’ve talked to us about it. They’ve said, ‘Hey, we’re going to use all you guys,’” Breida said. “… All three of us are going to be used a lot. I don’t want to give away any secrets, but we’re all going to be used in the offense.”

If so, it’s unclear how the snaps will be divided. But this is obvious: Breida, a 2017 undrafted free agent, made a strong case to maintain a prominent role with his strong second season.

Last year, Breida rushed for 814 yards, ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per attempt (5.3) and was sixth in runs of 20-plus yards (10). Breida’s yards-per-attempt average was the third-highest in franchise history for a running back with at least 150 attempts. He ranks behind Hall of Famer Joe Perry (6.1, 1954) and Frank Gore (5.4, 2006), who ranks fourth in NFL history in rushing yards (14,748).

“I know what I did last year,” Breida said. “Everyone thinks I did a good job, but I know I can do better.”

There’s evidence he could be correct.

Consider Breida dealt with a knee injury and shoulder issue last year before he sustained a sprained ankle in Week 5 that did not fully heal. He missed just two games; he was listed as questionable for six others.

Breida acknowledged his ankle often felt like “crap” the day after games.

“It’s just one of those things — are you going to play or not?” Brieda said. “Depending on the player, some guys would sit out. It’s totally up to you. But I felt like I wanted to be out there. I wanted to win. I wanted to be with my teammates.”

Breida said his injury didn’t have much impact on his straight-ahead speed. In fact, he was clocked at 22.09 mph in November on a 33-yard run against the Buccaneers, which was the fastest of any ballcarrier over the past two seasons, according to Next Gen Stats.

“I still had my burst,” Breida said, “but I wasn’t able to make every cut. There were cuts I could make and then it was, ‘OK, it’s time to try to run somebody over. Try to do this a little differently.’ You just compensate and do the best you can with what you’ve got.”

Breida will scrap for snaps after McKinnon’s injury thrust Breida into a lead-back role last year.

Coleman, 26, will earn $3.25 million guaranteed this season and was signed partly based on his relationship with Shanahan, who coached Coleman when he was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator (2015-2016). Coleman has averaged 981 yards from scrimmage, 4.4 yards a carry, 11.1 yards per catch and scored 28 touchdowns over his past three seasons.

Meanwhile, McKinnon earned $11.7 million last year, and his 2019 base salary of $3.7 million became guaranteed April 1. In 2018, Shanahan said McKinnon’s injury was particularly significant because much of the 49ers’ offense was designed to take advantage of his dual-threat talent.

In addition, the 49ers have another running back, Raheem Mostert, who could be active on their 46-man game-day roster because of his strong special-teams ability. Mostert signed a three-year deal in March that included $2.4 million guaranteed at signing.

Shanahan has acknowledged he hasn’t had four running backs active for a game, but said in March that “it could make a lot of sense this year.”

Whatever the case, Breida, who will earn a base salary of $555,000, will be the least compensated of the four in 2019. But his performance last year suggests he could be capable of outrunning his more prominent competition.

For his part, Breida smiled when asked if he could reach 23 mph this season.

“I believe so,” he said. “I think I can go even faster than that.”

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch