Injuries limited San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert to eight games last season. Of course, injuries devastated the entire roster, resulting in a disappointing six-win campaign. Some better luck on the injury front could result in a quick turnaround for Mostert and his Niners. That's what recently re-signed fullback Kyle Juszczyk expects.
In fact, the 49ers' offensive weapon expects big things in 2021 for his running back teammate. Much of that has to do with play-caller Kyle Shanahan and how the head coach takes advantage of each player's strengths. Juszczyk used wide receiver Deebo Samuel as an example. In each game, Shanahan installs two or three plays that can take advantage of the young wideout's physicality.
"He knows that he just needs to get the ball in Deebo's hands, however it is, whether it's a screen, a handoff, a quick hitch, because he knows he can take advantage with yards after the catch from there," Juszczyk shared on the Fantasy Footballers podcast (h/t to Jordan Cohn of 95.7 The Game).
That's just one example. Juszczyk feels Shanahan does that with each of the weapons at his disposal, including Mostert.
"Sometimes, our offense is pretty hard to predict who's gonna get the ball," Juszczyk explained. "But, you know what, I think that Raheem Mostert is really gonna surprise people, and I know it's been a few years since the Niners have had one of those top fantasy guys that you know that you're gonna take in your first one, two, or three rounds.
"You could argue (George) Kittle's definitely has been up there, but outside of that, we really haven't had a wide receiver or running back that you really talk about up there at the top of the (fantasy) draft, and I think Raheem Mostert's gonna be a guy that, at the end of the season, you might've wished that you had gone up there and spent a little more (fantasy) draft capital to get him because I can tell you firsthand what big plans we have for him."
Mostert finished last season with 521 rushing yards, 156 receiving yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a receiving touchdown through his eight appearances as he dealt with knee and ankle injuries.
"At the end of last season, when he came back and was healthy," Juszczyk continued, "we genuinely thought that with six games left, that we could still get him to 1,000 yards, just based on what he had done earlier in the season and what we had seen on the practice field. This guy is just absolutely insane in the open field, extremely explosive. Nobody can catch him. It's ridiculous.
"Like, the angles these safeties try to take on him, and he still will leave them in the dust. I think there's still a lot in front of Raheem, and I think a big year's coming for him."
You can listen to the entire podcast below. The conversation with Juszczyk begins at about the 48-minute mark.
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