49ers could trade one of these 5 players before 2023 season starts
By Peter Panacy
![San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (L) and running back Elijah Mitchell (R) San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (L) and running back Elijah Mitchell (R)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2806,h_1578,x_0,y_842/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/42/01h5ydbqbgykfc47eng1.jpg)
49ers trade candidate No. 3: RB Elijah Mitchell
Teams don't frequently trade for players who are entering the final year of their respective contracts, and the other kind of player teams typically don't trade for is those who are frequently injured.
Injuries have accompanied running back Elijah Mitchell over the last two years, limiting him to 11 games his rookie season in 2021 and then just five games in 2022. That said, the former sixth-round pick set a franchise record for a rookie with 963 rush yards over those 11 games, so the talent is there.
Perhaps that's what the Niners will sell regarding Mitchell.
San Francisco has another up-and-coming tailback to support the All-Pro, Christian McCaffrey, in second-year man Jordan Mason.
If Mason impresses enough, Mitchell could potentially become disposable. And even though he has injury problems, the fact he's entering only year three on his rookie contract as a former sixth-round draft pick makes him a cheap commodity to obtain, and such a team would pay only $940,000 for his services in 2023.