Why Elijah Mitchell is a Player to Keep an Eye on

There is a 49ers player flying under the radar.

There is a 49ers player flying under the radar.

That player is rookie running back Elijah Mitchell. With Jeff Wilson Jr. on the shelf due to injury, Mitchell is able to squeeze in more reps than initially thought.

So far, Mitchell has risen as a player to keep an eye on as training camp and the preseason progresses.

“That's one of my favorite parts of his game,” said offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel on what he’s seeing out of Mitchell. “So whether that was coincidental or not, when you watch him and you watch him at practice, you can see at the point of contact that he is striking defenders. We call it shoulder punched. You've seen Jeff Wilson do it a bunch. So in practice we see great vision and we see a guy that is not afraid of contact and should be pretty good after it. But, again we'll let him show us all that when the preseason games start.”

Being drafted in the sixth round usually does not warrant much expectations. Anytime a team can find a role player there means they struck gold. But Mitchell can build himself a case to be in a serious rotation in the offense and it starts in the preseason like McDaniel said. If he is able to show out, then the stable of running backs at the 49ers’ disposal is going to be unheard of.

Trey Lance and Trey Sermon may be at the top of the totem pole when it comes to intrigue, but I would advise to not sleep on Mitchell. There is definitely talent there that can and will be tapped in with him.

It is just a matter of opportunity and his ability to maximize it.