What 49ers depth chart looks like with Raheem Mostert gone

The 49ers lost Raheem Mostert to the Dolphins in NFL free agency, meaning the running back depth chart will look noticeably different in 2022 than it did at the start of last season.

The San Francisco 49ers got a heavy dose of what their offense would eventually look like without veteran running back Raheem Mostert in 2021.

After all, Mostert saw only two carries a season ago in Week 1 before being sidelined with a knee injury that would eventually require surgery and land him on season-ending injured reserve.

Fortunately, the Niners already had contingency plans in place.

Earlier that spring, San Francisco used two of its NFL Draft picks on running backs, a Round 3 selection on Ohio State’s Trey Sermon and a Round 6 pick on Louisiana’s Elijah Mitchell, the latter essentially becoming the de facto starter for head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Mitchell would go on to set a franchise record for rookie rushers, accumulating 963 yards but also missing seven games because of various injuries.

Sermon, meanwhile, had a noticeably disappointing rookie year, though, amassing a mere 167 yards and finding himself frequently on the weekly inactive list.

Any thought the 49ers would welcome a soon-to-be 30-year-old Mostert back for one more go-around were quickly dashed in the opening waves of NFL free agency, as Mostert will be reuniting with his former offensive coordinator, turned head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel, on a one-year deal.

With Mostert gone, the Niners have to figure out what their running back depth chart will look like in 2022.

49ers post-Raheem Mostert running back depth chart

San Francisco has two running backs on rookie contracts, Mitchell and Sermon, of course. So they’ll automatically benefit from receiving the carries Mostert otherwise would have gotten if the 49ers would have re-signed him.

After that, though, things get a bit tricky.

Running back and kick-return specialist Trenton Cannon already joined the Tennessee Titans in NFL free agency, so he’s off the books. And fellow running back Jeff Wilson Jr. remains a free agent, too.

Read More: 49ers 2022 NFL free agency tracker: Who’s coming and going?

It’s not yet clear whether or not the Niners are interested in bringing Wilson back, although he could be had on the cheap, most likely.

As such, the only rostered tailbacks San Francisco has at this point are as follows:

• Elijah Mitchell
• Trey Sermon
• JaMycal Hasty

Hasty, more of a gadget player, could factor in as a third-down running back and an insurance option, should the 49ers lose either Mitchell or Sermon for a lengthy period of time.

That said, not much more should be expected out of Hasty, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Shanahan leaned heavily towards the draft to supplement this position once more.

Typically, teams carry at least four running backs during their offseason programs and into the preseason, and the Niners have had five during this phase, which wouldn’t be surprising whatsoever.

Considering Shanahan’s offense is based on the run, though, one would certainly expect another running back to be in play with one of San Francisco’s picks on day three of the draft.

Perhaps in the same range Mitchell was grabbed a year ago.