49ers preseason 2021: 3 overreactions from 19-16 loss to Chiefs

JaMycal Hasty will be best running back on 49ers roster

Rookie rusher Trey Sermon got 26 yards on nine attempts for a measly 2.9 yards per carry, including a fumble.

The veteran, Wayne Gallman, got 21 yards on six carries for a better-but-still-lacking 3.5 yards per carry.

Brandon Aiyuk isn’t a running back, Jauan Jennings got two rushing attempts on screen attempts that were really more like passes, and Nsimba Webster only got one end-around and won’t be a running back.

That means, in terms of running backs, the 49ers got 47 yards from Sermon and Gallman combined.

But the running game looked solid because of 63 yards on 10 carries from second-year pro JaMycal Hasty. Clearly dominating this game means that Hasty must be the best running back on the roster, right? Production means everything.

Unfortunately, first week preseason rushing stats don’t translate to regular season success. But Hasty’s success does help him considerably in what was a crowded room.

Read More: What does JaMycal Hasty have to do to survive roster cuts?

Sermon, despite his pedestrian night, had flashes of his explosiveness and balance, and as a third-round pick, he’s not going anywhere. Raheem Mostert didn’t play this game because he’s an obvious lock to start and gash defensives with his truly elite speed. But that still leaves a couple spots. Elijah Mitchell was a sleeper pick to add an extra edge for the Niners as a sixth-round pick, but an adductor sprain has likely ended his preseason.

With Jeff Wilson in the wings as he rehabs from a meniscus tear, that leaves some openings for the Niners. And while one game doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, Hasty’s shiftiness gives him a leg up.

If he can get over his fumbling problem, this first preseason game might actually be a sign that he’ll contribute this year, though replicating a game like this as the top rusher will probably not be in the cards.