49ers one of three teams showing the most interest in Brooks

In a special for FOX Sports, analyst Bucky Brooks ranked his top five NFL rookies through Week 10, and San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell received some love. The Louisiana product landed at No. 5 on Brooks' power ranking. "Elijah Mitchell was a sixth-round pick, and who thought he would be able to make an immediate impact?" Brooks said. "Well, the San Francisco 49ers did because this is what they do at the running back position. They typically take late-round picks, and they transform them and make them stars. "Elijah Mitchell might be the next one to get it done in Kyle Shanahan's offense. He already has over 500 yards, he has three touchdowns, and if you've got a chance to check them out against the Rams, Elijah Mitchell was making it

The 49ers defense had a resurgence last Monday Night, showing out with two interceptions, both by safety Jimmie Ward, and two sacks, en route to a primetime blowout 31-10 win over their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams. This week, the 49ers will travel to Jacksonville to face the rebuilding Jaguars, where that defense will look to replicate their masterful performance that they showcased against the Rams. The 4-5 49ers are just 0.5 games back of a playoff spot, making this weekend's game essentially a must-win to gain traction in the playoff race, especially given the strength of their opponent. When giving his final updates on Friday for Sunday's showdown, head coach Kyle Shanahan highlighted one defensive player who's developed admirably on

It looked like a different San Francisco 49ers defensive on the field Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams, especially compared to the embarrassing performance displayed a week earlier against the Arizona Cardinals. The Niners defense held the potent Rams offense to just 10 points in the primetime shellacking. Following the home loss to an injury-plagued Cardinals squad and before the latest game, the defensive captains, which includes Ward, got together to figure out how to turn things around. At 3-5, something needed to change for the 49ers' playoff hopes to remain alive. "We ended up having a meeting with the team captains on defense," safety Jimmie Ward explained on KNBR's Murph & Mac show. "I can't really speak too much on the offense.

On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that rookie running back Elijah Mitchell was undergoing a procedure to repair a finger fracture sustained in the team's Week 10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. However, the coach wasn't eliminating the possibility that Mitchell, the 49ers' leading rusher, might play this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars or even practice today. Shanahan told reporters today that Mitchell will not take part in the first practice of the week, but the coach believes he will be good for Sunday's game. "He just had [the procedure] yesterday," Shanahan said. "Today, he's not good enough to practice. I think he'll go Sunday, but we've got to see day to day." Jeff Wilson Jr., Trenton Cannon, and