What 49ers can expect from Day 3 NFL Draft picks

49ers Round 6 draft pick: RB Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana-Lafayette

Talanoa Hufanga might be the quickest fan favorite of all the Niners picks on day three of the NFL Draft. But running back Elijah Mitchell out of Louisiana-Lafayette could end up being the most electrifying.

San Francisco has a deep crop of running backs, yes, and that crop got even deeper with the Round 3 grab of Ohio State tailback Trey Sermon.

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As such, Mitchell might struggle to see early snaps. But Kyle Shanahan never hesitates to rotate his rushers while going with the hot hand, and the need to keep players like Sermon, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson fresh point to the idea Mitchell will get some carries anyway.

The 5-foot-10, 201-pound Mitchell is extremely fast, having ran a 4.38 40-yard time at his pro day. And while Mitchell might not be overly shifty and elusive, instead more of a one-cut-and-go kind of runner, once he gets into some open space, he’s likely to run right past a defender and could be considered a scoring threat any time he gets into the second and third levels of the defense.

Plus, it’s good knowing Mitchell doubles as a legitimate pass-catching weapon, too, having recorded 597 receiving yards and five touchdown catches over his four years with the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Mitchell will still be deep on the depth chart for now, but look for him to work his way up the rotation over the course of the season.

Predicted 2021 role: 49ers fourth-string running back