4 bold predictions for 49ers 2021 rookie NFL Draft class
By Peter Panacy
Prediction No. 2: Trey Sermon leads 49ers in rush yards
It’s going to be difficult for rookie running back Trey Sermon to ascend his way up the depth chart.
After all, it’s a crowded position with returnees like Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty and Austin Walter all vying for roles, while sixth-round rookie Elijah Mitchell also finds himself in the mix.
Two of those names are likely to miss the 53-man roster cut. Yet Kyle Shanahan has never hesitated on rotating his tailbacks, and the third-round investment in Sermon suggests the Niners will want to give the Ohio State tailback as many opportunities as possible to make an impact.
This might not mean Sermon is tabbed as a starter. At least not right away. But considering Mostert shouldn’t be viewed as a bell-cow back, mostly predicated on an unfortunate injury history that dogged him last year, there should be plenty of carries to go around. And it also makes sense for Shanahan to try keeping Mostert relatively fresh for any postseason run, too.
That might make Sermon the beneficiary of chunk usage, either late in games when San Francisco is trying to run down the clock or even early when Shanahan is testing out opposing defenses.
Sermon might not have a lofty yards-per-carry average his rookie season. But he’ll wind up leading the team in net rushing yards anyway by the time the year is up.