Will Elijah Mitchell Have Over or Under 7.5 Rushing Touchdowns in 2022?

Elijah Mitchell had a fantastic rookie season.

Despite missing six games, he was on the verge of eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing. Just imagine if he was healthy for just a couple more games. He more likely than not would’ve reached that milestone. But as amazing as his rushing yards were, he was lacking a bit in the touchdowns department.

Mitchell tallied five touchdowns last season, which is also a result of him missing time. But the emergence of Deebo Samuel as a running back in the second-half of the season also played a major factor. Samuel ran in for a score eight times, so a couple of those could’ve gone the way of Mitchell. DraftKings sportsbook has set the over/under at 7.5 rushing touchdowns for Mitchell. So we’re looking for a three touchdown improvement from him in his sophomore season.

Will Mitchell have over or under 7.5 rushing touchdowns in 2022?

I’m going to take the under. Seven touchdowns is exactly where I see Mitchell, so it’s a real fine line here. If he does get the over, I think he gets eight and no more. Health is really the main concern I have with Mitchell. Now, he has stated he’s put on a shell of muscle, so that way he can withstand more blows and punishment.

But historically since Kyle Shanahan has been the head coach, running backs of the 49ers do not last. Running backs in general miss time, but it’s skewed for the 49ers. It’s never mattered how in shape or bulky a player is — missing time has been inevitable. Will Mitchell be the first running back to break that stigma? Probably not.

It is why the 49ers drafted Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round. It was to reduce the running back role of Samuel and to cut some carries from Mitchell. The 49ers want to avoid a situation where the only running backs they have are players they signed fresh off the street and off another team’s practice squad. They lost players left and right. It was insane. Avoiding that situation is critical for them and the way they’ll do that is going back to their rotational ways like they did in 2019. Don’t forget about Jeff Wilson Jr. either as he can easily slide in and take some of those goal line carries.

Which side are you taking when it comes to the over/under for Mitchell at 7.5 rushing touchdowns?

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