49ers 2021 NFL Draft live tracker, reactions and updates

Round 6, Pick No. 194 Overall: RB Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana

The 49ers running back room got even a bit more crowded with the team’s final selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Louisiana tailback Elijah Mitchell, who was no stranger to some of the Niner Noise mocks and late-round target lists out there leading up to the draft.

Why? Well, Mitchell is notably fast and ran an impressive 4.38 40-yard time during his pro day and also demonstrated some of that shiftiness and elusiveness within the Ragin’ Cajuns offense, albeit against less-than-stellar competition.

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Still, Kyle Shanahan loves speed. And he won’t turn away the fact Mitchell served as a reliable pass-catching option, too, with 597 receiving yards over four collegiate years.

And in 2018, the 5-foot-11 and 218-pound Mitchell rushed for nearly 1,000 yards while adding 349 yards through the air for a net total of 1,334 all-purpose yards with 16 combined touchdowns.

Even though San Francisco already drafted Trey Sermon earlier, getting some quality depth in its running back room makes a lot of sense. Particularly if Mitchell winds up being a similar weapon as he was at Louisiana.

This probably means second-year running back JaMycal Hasty, who suffered a torn ACL late last season, won’t make the 2021 roster. But Mitchell could easily be an upgrade.

More to come on the 49ers’ entire 2021 NFL Draft class over the next days and weeks!