"Unpacking Elijah Mitchell: Rookie Running Back's Impact on the San Francisco 49ers Offense"

Our perspective on rookie Elijah Mitchell from 2021.

Elijah Mitchell, five foot ten inches,201 pounds out of Louisiana, was drafted in the sixth round by the 49ers; Mitchell is a blazer. Mitchell ran a 4.33 forty as his pro day and has shown off his speed in minicamp. On tape, you can see a great burst through the line and into the second level, but he doesn't cut well and is more of a straight-line runner.

"Mitchell will appear and disapper just as fast."

His first initial cut is good, but you don’t see him juke anybody out of their shoes. Mitchell also tends to be an upright runner allowing defenders to get under his pads. Mitchell can be considered a reliable pass catcher but lacks creativity in his routes, which may go along with him not being able to cut very well.

Scouting Report

Elijah Mitchell will probably be another backup in the 49ers rotation, but Mitchell is the better athlete if you miss out on Trey Sermon or are not interested. With Jeff Wilson going down, Sermon has been climbing up the draft board. You can feel better spending a late pick on Elijah. Mitchell could very well have a great game and then disappear from the rotation. There is no reason to trust the 49ers backfield.