Rethinking 49ers 53-man roster after first wave of 2021 cuts

49ers Running Backs (5)

RB Raheem Mostert

RB Trey Sermon

RB Wayne Gallman

RB Elijah Mitchell

FB Kyle Juszczyk

PS: RB JaMycal Hasty, FB Josh Hokit

For the most part, there isn’t much in the way of surprises for this position group.

Raheem Mostert still stands to start the season as the de facto starter, although look for head coach Kyle Shanahan to often ride the proverbial “hot hand” between Mostert and rookie Trey Sermon.

Veteran Wayne Gallman proved himself capable of stepping in as a load-carrying back when he did so for Saquon Barkley last season with the New York Giants but stands to serve as more of a change of pace/third-down back in San Francisco.

Another rookie is sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell, who is expected to miss a few weeks with an abductor strain, but odds are that the 49ers will look to keep him around rather than subject him to waivers and possibly add him to IR once rosters are set in order to make sure he remains with the team.

As for the fullback position, the Niners brought back Kyle Juszczyk on a long-term deal this offseason, so he’s one of the bigger locks on this roster.

The team will hope to keep a player like JaMycal Hasty on the practice squad as well as Josh Hokit, who could serve as a replacement-level Juszczyk in case of injury.