Elijah Mitchell is different. He’s different than any running back the 49ers have had under head coach Kyle Shanahan, and through 12 weeks he’s more productive than any rookie running back in 49ers history.
Two things stick out through Mitchell’s first eight games as a pro, and Sunday’s win over the Vikings was a microcosm of what’s been so impressive about the sixth-round pick’s start.
First is the level of usage he’s seeing. He had 27 carries against Minnesota. It was his second-consecutive game with 27 attempts, and his sixth game with 17-plus carries. The 27 are more than any back has had in the regular season under Shanahan. His six games with 17-plus carries are more than any other 49ers running back since 2017.
49ers RB games with 17+ carries since 2017:
Elijah Mitchell, 6
Jeff Wilson Jr., 5
Carlos Hyde, 4
Matt Breida, 2
Tevin Coleman, 2
Raheem Mostert, 2
Jerick McKinnon, 1
Alfred Morris, 1
Trey Sermon, 1— #Kyle Madson (@KyleAMadson) November 29, 2021
The second thing is the sheer amount of yards he’s churning out. Against Minnesota he posted 133 rushing yards. It was his fourth game with 100-plus rushing yards which is more than any rookie in 49ers history. He passed Billy Kilmer, who had three in 1961.
Mitchell has taken over the lead back role since Raheem Mostert went down with an injury in Week 1 and become a lead running back in a way no player has during Shanahan’s tenure. He’s taken the opportunities and repaid the club by being their leading rusher and spearheading their offensive attack in two of their three consecutive victories.
If the 49ers are going to make any kind of playoff run, it will likely be behind their rookie, workhorse running back.
