What can 49ers expect from last year’s late-round draft picks?

Elijah Mitchell

Draft round: 6

Rookie story: Took advantage of the doors that opened in front of him to become a vital component to rush for nearly 1,000 yards in his first NFL season.

Potential for 2022: Mitchell was certainly a very pleasant surprise for the Niners last year as a sixth-round find out of Louisiana who had 207 rushes for 963 yards last season—good for a healthy 4.7 yards/carry average. Given that Raheem Mostert was missed and Trey Sermon (a third round pick himself) contributed nothing to the team’s success in 2021, Mitchell was a revelation, especially early on when given opportunities.

However, it doesn’t take much to notice that the Niners went right back to the well for another third-round running back in 2022 with the selection of Tyrion Price-Davis. Mitchell moved the chains well bouncing outside and has a penchant for breaking tackles, but he suffered with greater use and might prove to be better utilized in tandem with a stronger interior rusher.

Either way, the Niners are certainly happy with the results of this sixth-round pick and Mitchell should be a productive member of this team for the next few years for pennies on the dollar.