4 players 49ers must put on trade block during 2023 NFL Draft

No. 1: 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell

To date, San Francisco hasn’t had a single running back lead the team in rushing in back-to-back years under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

That’ll likely change with All-Pro Christian McCaffrey entering 2023, yes. But, in light of that, it’s safe to say the 49ers’ leading rusher from 2021, Elijah Mitchell, is probably due for a drastically reduced role than what many thought he’d have after his impressive 963-yard rookie season.

McCaffrey is the bell cow, while Mitchell’s two years at the pro level have been dogged by injuries. While playing in only 11 games in 2021 was bad, seeing only five last year is much worse.

So, would teams want to trade for that kind of risk?

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From the Niners’ vantage point, they have runners like Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price waiting in the folds, and it’s likely they’ll grab another late-round sleeper in this year’s NFL Draft, too.

From another team’s perspective, Mitchell’s speed and explosiveness when healthy are traits worth taking a risk on.

At least San Francisco hopes that to be the case, but it’d only find out if Mitchell is placed on the trade block during the draft.