If healthy, the 49ers' offense could feature arguably the best rushing attack in the NFL.
Led by Raheem Mostert, the addition of third-round pick Trey Sermon provides the 49ers with an exciting one-two punch out of the backfield.
The Ohio State product has received plenty of hype since being drafted by the 49ers this spring. Mostert will be the starter for the foreseeable future, but Sermon is expected to see plenty of snaps throughout the season.
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Missing a little bit of time with an ankle issue in training camp, Sermon had to play catch-up early on, which could be difficult for any rookie entering their first NFL training camp.
49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel provided an update on Sermon's progress thus far.
“He's been practicing well," McDaniel told reporters Thursday. "And you take rookies one day at a time, across the board. You try not to get ahead of yourself because you want to put them out there with their teammates when they're ready. So every day we're evaluating Trey. And Bobby Turner does not let him slip an inch if he's wrong on a track or whatever. He's getting coached up and if he's doing well, we try to give him more opportunities and continue that momentum.”
Many expect Sermon to eventually replace Mostert as the 49ers' leading rusher. He has plenty of upside and his offensive coordinator sees it too.
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“Really like his vision, he's a big dude that has good cutting ability, rare cutting ability for a guy that size and I really like him as a human being," McDaniel added. "The way he approaches professional football as a professional, he's working on his craft day in, day out. And his goal is the same as ours. We want the final product to be as good as it can be and the only way you do that is if you're always hungry for him to get better and better and coach him up and see how good he can get.”
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Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions should be a great opportunity for both Sermon and Mostert. Detroit, who surrendered the fifth-most rushing yards last season, is looking like a great matchup for a rookie running back to debut in.