4 problems 49ers must solve in preseason finale vs. Raiders
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Deciding between Wayne Gallman, JaMycal Hasty and Elijah Mitchell at running back
It’s a good problem to have in this case.
The 49ers already have two running backs assured roster spots, Raheem Mostert and Trey Sermon. But assuming Kyle Shanahan keeps four for the regular season, there’s going to be a three-way battle for the final two spots between Wayne Gallman, JaMycal Hasty and the sixth-round rookie, Elijah Mitchell, who missed the Niners’ first two preseason bouts with a hip injury.
Gallman and Hasty, meanwhile, both made their cases with strong outings against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 of the preseason, Gallman averaging 4.8 yards per attempt and showcasing some solid pass blocking in the effort.
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That could feasibly make Gallman a favorite, meaning it’ll come down to Hasty and Mitchell for the final spot.
Ideally, San Francisco would like to stash whichever player doesn’t make the final cut onto the practice squad. Yet Hasty might have shown too much for another team out there to pass on claiming him off waivers, while Mitchell’s blazing-fast 4.32 40-yard time from his pro day might be attractive, too.
Even if Mitchell doesn’t have any NFL-level game tape on him yet.