When the 49ers needed a leader at the running back position, rookie Elijah Mitchell stepped up.
After Raheem Mostert suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, the 49ers were left without a true No. 1 option out of the backfield. Fortunately for San Francisco, they seem to have hit a home run with their sixth-round draft pick.
Mitchell has cemented himself as the No. 1 RB in the 49ers offense and has impressed his starting quarterback.
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“It starts with his mind," Jimmy Garoppolo said of Mitchell on Wednesday. "When you're in the huddle with him, you feel him. He doesn't talk too much, but you feel his presence. You feel when he's ready when he's rolling in a groove like that. Just all those little things, and for a young guy to have that it's, [RB JaMycal] Hasty had that last year, I would always say, and Elijah's the same way this year. It's just you'd like to look a guy in the eyes and know that he's ready.”
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The 49ers' rookie ranks fourth among NFL running backs averaging 86.6 yards per game and sixth at the position averaging 5.3 yards per carry among running backs with 60 or more attempts.
Mitchell missed both Week 3 and 4 against the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, due to injury, but has since regained the starting role, and has put together back-to-back games with over 100 yards rushing and a touchdown.
San Francisco 49ers
Veteran RB Jeff Wilson Jr. has been on Injured Reserve the entire season and is nearing a possible return after the team opened his practice window this week. With how well Mitchell has played in five games this season, it's hard to imagine him losing his job anytime soon.