San Francisco 49ers: 3 players who’ll break out in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Running Back Raheem Mostert
He might not necessarily be a true breakout candidate, given he made plenty of splashes late in 2019 and into the playoffs. But running back Raheem Mostert has every chance available to prove those efforts late last season were no fluke. He won’t be the proverbial “flash in the pan.”
Mostert, of course, led the 49ers with 772 rushing yards and enjoyed games where he was the Niners’ biggest offensive threat, including a 19-carry, 146-yard performance on the ground against the Baltimore Ravens, followed by his incredible 220-yard, four-touchdown game in San Francisco’s one-sided NFC Championship win over the Green Bay Packers.
Yet one of the reasons why Mostert could be held back this season, at least from being a top stat-getter for Kyle Shanahan, is the sheer number of runners in the 49ers backfield. Jerick McKinnon, Tevin Coleman and perhaps undrafted rookies, Salvon Ahmed and JaMycal Hasty, could all take snaps away from Mostert.
But Mostert’s best attributes, speed and explosiveness, are already proven and should be well-utilized by San Francisco’s offense at various points.
Simply put, it’s going to be hard for Shanahan to keep Mostert off the field in 2020 after what transpired late last season.
And if Mostert reaches that 1,000-yard plateau and has an exorbitant yards-per-carry average again — it was 5.64 last year — there’s little reason to assume the former undrafted free agent and special teams-only ace emerges as a household name.
Perhaps even a Pro Bowler.