Raheem Mostert has proven to be a potent option for the 49ers when healthy, but his recent injury history along with the competition for carries he faces this season caused NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew to place him in the bottom third of his new list of the league's top lead running backs.
Jones-Drew, who was selected to three Pro Bowls during his years as a running back with the Jacksonville Jaguars, ranked Mostert 25th among the league's "RB1s" in a feature published to NFL.com on Wednesday.
"Mostert has been outstanding in Kyle Shanahan's offense, averaging 5.6 yards per carry with the 49ers," wrote Jones-Drew. "He exited after eight games in 2020 with an injury but all signs point to a healthy return in 2021. I realize the 49ers have about 1,000 running backs on the roster. (OK, slight exaggeration.) Can Mostert stay healthy? Will Jeff Wilson or rookie Trey Sermon earn some carries? Time will tell."
Ankle issues limited Mostert to 521 yards and two touchdowns in eight games last season after he rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns over 16 games in 2019. The 2019 season was the only one out of the past four during which Mostert was able to play in all 16 games.
Mostert is part of a crowded running back room in San Francisco that also includes Wilson and Sermon, as Jones-Drew mentioned, along with Wayne Gallman and rookie Elijah Mitchell. Mostert will most likely be the lead back if he is healthy to start the season while Wilson recovers from a knee injury, but the rookies are expected to fit into the mix as well.
"We all challenge each other, they're gonna get the best out of me and I'm gonna try to get the best out of them," Mostert said during a recent interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio (per NBC Sports Bay Area). "Especially with the younger guys, Trey and Elijah, those two guys, they're really learning under me right now and they're understanding the game and what it takes to be a pro and they're handling it so well."
Topping Jones-Drew's list was reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, followed by Christian McCaffery of the Carolina Panthers and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints. Click here to take a look.