49ers roster 2021: Bubble watch ahead of preseason Week 1
By Peter Panacy
49ers Bubble Watch: Running Back
Lock: Kyle Juszczyk, Raheem Mostert, Trey Sermon
Strong Bubble: Wayne Gallman, Elijah Mitchell
Weak Bubble: JaMycal Hasty
Long Shot: Josh Hokit, Jeff Wilson Jr.
Despite losing Jeff Wilson Jr. to a meniscus tear last spring, running back is still one of the positions at which the Niners remain awfully deep.
Raheem Mostert and Trey Sermon have effectively guaranteed themselves spots, and the only question is which one of the two winds up serving a bigger role in 2021, provided they both stay healthy.
Down the line is where things get interesting.
The sixth-round rookie, Elijah Mitchell, has flashed his home-run speed during camp, and nearly every one of his carries has gone for long distances. It might not be enough to guarantee a spot on the 53-man roster, but Mitchell’s efforts probably put him ahead of the pecking order over second-year pro JaMycal Hasty.
Hasty, too, has impressed in camp, although one might figure San Francisco prefers to keep a veteran like Wayne Gallman on the roster over Hasty.
Ideally, the 49ers can stash Hasty on the practice squad, but one might guess it doubtful for him to clear waivers. He’s been too good thus far.
Unless fullback Kyle Juszczyk suffers some sort of injury, No. 2 fullback Josh Hokit is likely pegged for the practice squad again in 2021.