Assessing The Options To Replace Elijah Mitchell

The San Francisco 49ers’ running game was very effective for the most part in their stunning Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears, but Kyle Shanahan already must adjust his plans for the ground attack after Elijah Mitchell was ruled out for two months with a knee injury.

Mitchell was the clear lead back for San Francisco, but missed time through injury last year and immediately saw his second season in the NFL affected by more durability issues.

Jeff Wilson Jr. is RB2 on the 49ers’ depth chart and has experience of thriving for San Francisco in Shanahan’s offense.

Yet Shanahan has rarely been one to steadfastly stick to the depth chart, and it is likely he will explore a variety of solutions to ensure a Niners run game that averaged 4.8 yards per carry against the Bears remains highly productive.

Jeff Wilson Jr.

Wilson was listed as the lead back behind Mitchell for a reason. He has spent four seasons in the Shanahan offense and has demonstrated the ability to excel on zone runs and in between the tackles on gap scheme runs.

He can also provide upside as a receiver out of the backfield, but his performance in tough conditions against the Bears could put his position as the new top back in jeopardy.

Wilson finished with 22 yards on nine carries, an average of 2.4 yards per carry, appearing to lack explosiveness in a disappointing display.

The biggest threat to Wilson gaining a heavy workload is a player who isn’t technically listed as playing the same position.

Deebo Samuel

After all the chatter about Samuel not wanting to operate as a wide receiver-running back hybrid as his contract saga with the 49ers rumbled on, he was San Francisco’s most efficient ball-carrier outside of Mitchell on Sunday.

Samuel averaged 6.5 yards per carry and scored the 49ers’ only touchdown on a red-zone carry in the second quarter. Excelling on runs around the edge on which he received the ball out of split-back sets on plays frequently involving motion, Samuel offered the same big-play upside out of the backfield that was crucial to the 49ers’ run to the NFC Championship Game last season.

The Niners might not want to rely as heavily on Samuel the runner in 2022, however, if their other backs can’t deliver, they may not have a choice.

And there is another prominent non-running back who figures to have a huge influence on the ground game.

More Trey Lance runs

Lance took a lot of hits in the opening game of his first season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. He took much of that punishment on scrambles after the pocket collapsed and on quarterback sneaks to keep drives alive.

But he also showed the ability to pick up significant yardage with his legs and even make defenders miss in the open field, ending the game as the 49ers’ leading rusher with 54 yards on 13 carries.

Though Lance’s dual-threat skill set was part of the reason they drafted him, the 49ers are unlikely to view that as a winning formula.

The red zone is the place where Lance is at his most dangerous as a runner, but the injury to Mitchell may see the 49ers lean more on designed runs for their quarterback, with zone-read plays and run-pass options involving him and Samuel potentially devastating weapons for San Francisco to utilise.

Rookie backs

Undrafted free agent Jordan Mason was active against the Bears but did not receive a single carry despite a hugely impressive preseason that saw him earn a place on the roster.

He and third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price, who was not active in Chicago, both now have an opportunity in front of them to claim a role in the backfield. Mason runs with excellent burst and contact balance, while Davis-Price is a power back who can also get up to top speed in a hurry but has a little more elusiveness to his game.

Shanahan, per 49ers Webzone, indicated it is pass protection that will determine which of the two first-year backs gets on the field.

He said: “They’re two talented players who we think can help us a lot running the ball, but they have to grow up fast. They’re trying to compete and learn how to play better without the ball in their hand.”

College tape would suggest Davis-Price has the edge in that area but, if neither takes their opportunity, the 49ers added a potential contributor to the practice squad on Tuesday.

Marlon Mack

Mack gives the Niners veteran depth in the running back room and a player who has experienced no shortage of NFL success. Between 2018 and 2019, Mack racked up 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground.

However, he has played in just seven games since and was cut by the Houston Texans before the start of the season. Still only 26, the Niners will hope Mack still has something left in the tank, but it would be better for San Francisco for another back to emerge and turn the former Indianapolis Colt into a luxury rather than a necessity.