San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 storylines to watch in 2021 training camp
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Determining 49ers running back pecking order
Historically speaking, Kyle Shanahan has let his running backs determine their own roles heading into the regular season.
Yet San Francisco experienced some serious shakeups at this position during the offseason, including saying goodbye to two veterans, Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon, while bringing aboard three new faces in Wayne Gallman, Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon.
Sermon, in particular, is of interest after being selected in Round 3 of this year’s NFL Draft and receiving some first-team reps during OTAs in the wake of the presumed starter, Raheem Mostert, missing time with a minor knee injury.
Barring anything crazy, Mostert will still be a prominently featured rusher. But Sermon is a strong candidate to assume a starter’s role right away this season.
Related Story: Why Trey Sermon takes over as 49ers starting running back in 2021
The situation remains provocative after those two, too.
With veteran runner Jeff Wilson Jr. out four to six months with a meniscus tear, the door is open for players like Gallman, Mitchell and second-year pro JaMycal Hasty to make the cut.
Assuming Shanahan keeps only four running backs on his roster, one of those final three will have to go, yet all appear to have what it takes to make the 53-man group.
Tough decisions ahead.