D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
49ers TE George Kittle impressed with RBs Trey Sermon, Elijah Mitchell
May 25, 2021 at 5:08 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Maybe it's a good thing the 49ers drafted two running backs after all.
When the 49ers made the decision to select running back Trey Sermon in the third round and running back
Elijah Mitchell in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, it felt a bit strange at the time given the fact they already had veterans Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, and Wayne Gallman as part of their running back room. But with news surfacing Tuesday that Wilson
could be sidelined for as long as six months due to a torn meniscus, Sermon and Mitchell now carry an added importance for the 2021 season.
Fortunately, the reviews for Sermon and Mitchell have been positive to this point. Mitchell was singled out earlier this month by beat reporter Matt Maiocco as
a player who stood out during rookie minicamp, and on Tuesday, tight end
George Kittle offered glowing reviews of both running backs.
Sermon in particular has made an impression on Kittle, starting with what Kittle saw from him last season at Ohio State. Sermon had a breakthrough performance with a school-record 331 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game against Northwestern, then followed it up with 193 rushing yards, 61 receiving yards, and one touchdown in a playoff win over Clemson.
"I'm a huge fan of Trey, just watching him in the playoffs and the Big Ten Championship game," Kittle told reporters Tuesday. "He's such an aggressive runner. He's a big body. He just likes to run through people, but he still has a finesse to his game, which is awesome to see. He's a fast guy that runs downhill, and I love that in this offense."
Mitchell wasn't as widely publicized in college as Sermon, having split carries at the University of Louisiana. He finished his senior season with 878 yards and eight touchdowns on 141 carries. But he seems to be showing well in Santa Clara so far, which is good news given the injury situation.
"Elijah's been great. Just seeing the routes and the reps that he's gotten running the rock, he looks really good too," Kittle said.
The 49ers have had their share of injury issues at running back in recent years, which is one reason head coach Kyle Shanahan cited earlier this month as a justification for drafting two of them. It's unfortunate that those injury issues will continue into the start of the 2021 season, but there remains a number of talented candidates to choose from, thanks in large part to the presence of Sermon and Mitchell.
"I'm excited about our running back room," Kittle said. "That's a crowded room too. When it's crowded, it breeds competition. That's what it's all about."
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Kyle Shanahan even more impressed with Brock Purdy after 49ers-Giants film review
After the San Francisco 49ers' 30-12 victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night, head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed how happy he was with his second-year quarterback, Brock Purdy, despite some miscues.
"It definitely wasn't his best game, but I think Brock played well," Shanahan said. "I mean, he definitely wasn't perfect. Missed a couple of throws, but he also made a couple of plays that I didn't think were there. So I was definitely happy with him."
The next day, after reviewing what his team did against their Week 3 opponent, the coach was even more impressed with his quarterback.
"After watching the film, I was even more impressed than I saw last night after the game," Shanahan said Friday afternoon via a conference call. "We missed a
Why Alex Smith continues to be impressed by 49ers QB Brock Purdy
The San Francisco 49ers have been impressive through their first two games of the season. Quarterback Brock Purdy continues to win. His regular-season win streak could extend to eight games on Thursday night, with the Niners hosting the New York Giants at Levi's Stadium.
One former player who remains impressed by the 49ers' second-year quarterback is Alex Smith. Smith addressed those who question whether Purdy, the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is for real and if the young quarterback can "take this team the distance."
"He doesn't look like Josh Allen or Justin Herbert, the guys that we want to label these premier quarterbacks in the NFL, but he's built, and it's a perfect place to be because he's an amazing facilitator of this offense," Smith said on
George Kittle playing unselfish brand of football for the 49ers
This article was first published by Audacy and was syndicated with permission.
49ers tight end George Kittle worked up a quick rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy last season, as the duo connected on seven touchdowns in the final four games of the regular season.
In two games so far this year, Kittle (six catches, 49 yards) has taken a backseat in the passing game to players like Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Still, he's impressed Al Sacco and Brian Renick of the 49ers Webzone "No Huddle" podcast from Audacy Sports with his series of pulverizing
49ers Notebook: Deebo is no longer "awful"; Ronnie Bell makes a splash; J.J. Watt praises Niners; Captain Andrew Luck makes Levi's cameo
Thursday night was a fun one at Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-12 victory over the visiting New York Giants. It was a night that saw wide receiver Deebo Samuel declare himself as officially out of "awful" mode, running back Christian McCaffrey reach milestones, wide receiver Ronnie Bell create some lasting memories, and -- of all things -- Andrew Luck making a return to an NFL field (in full Civil War costume) to take part in a game of trivia.
Let's recap all that and more in this version of 49ers Notebook.
Not awful anymore
Back in June, Deebo Samuel caught some attention with his honest description of his 2022 performance
