San Francisco 49ers rookie RB duo has great long term potential

Anytime great offensive coaches add intriguing offensive weapons in the NFL Draft, it’s worth paying close attention to. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has one of the best offensive systems to foster success of young skill players, which is why every 49ers fan should be thrilled about the draft selections of Trey Sermon (third round) and Elijah Mitchell (sixth round).

The San Francisco 49ers opened up their 2021 NFL Draft class by taking North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. While he was at North Dakota State, the Bison ran the ball 45 times per game compared to 18-19 pass attempts per game. Lance was obviously a huge part of the running game but there’s no question that establishing the run will be key to his early success in the NFL as well.

That’s a huge reason why the 49ers prioritized the running game throughout their 2021 NFL Draft class.

They not only took two running backs, but they also drafted Notre Dame All-American left guard Aaron Banks and Western Michigan sleeper left tackle Jaylon Moore.

The Niners also invested a lot to bring back left tackle Trent Williams and veteran center Alex Mack.

Again, the running game is going to be an emphasis early on, which is great news for both Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell.

Sermon played three years with the Oklahoma Sooners before transferring to Ohio State this past season and really boosting his 2021 NFL Draft stock.

Sermon, whose performance down the stretch of the 2020 college football season was bordering on the miraculous, absolutely torched Michigan State, Northwestern, and Clemson to the tune of 636 yards and four touchdowns. He also added four receptions for 61 yards against Clemson.

Sermon’s skill set is pretty much perfect for Kyle Shanahan’s one-cut outside zone running game, and running behind Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey, the sky is really the limit for his rookie season.

Sermon’s issue to this point has been an inability to consistently stay healthy. He runs like he’s possessed and we saw against Clemson a reckless abandon that really is the double-edged sword you’re getting here.

He’s got tremendous size, explosiveness, he gets yards after contact, and he can be an asset as a receiver.

Sermon was always going to be best utilized in a committee at the next level and the San Francisco 49ers are going to be able to afford him that chance, likely at some point in the near future with Lousiana-Lafayette star Elijah Mitchell.

Mitchell is one of the best athletes at the running back position to come along in the last three decades.

Again, in a one-cut outside zone offense, Mitchell seems likely to thrive at the NFL level.

He had over 600 touches in college between carrying the ball, catching it out of the backfield, and returning kicks, and he only fumbled the ball one time.

He was a high school receiver whose natural pass-catching ability is a major asset to his game.

Mitchell could not have landed in a better spot in the NFL than with Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner, who is one of the best running backs coaches in the history of the league.

With Turner’s coaching, this duo of backs has a chance to really be special along with their fellow 2021 classmate Trey Lance calling the shots at the quarterback position. Will everything come together immediately? Maybe not, but patience will pay off for the San Francisco 49ers as these players develop together.