There’s no doubt the 49ers missed Raheem Mostert in 2021. You don’t replace arguably the fastest player in the NFL, who is a walking explosive play. The pressure Mostert took off the rest of the offense by turning would-be five, and six-yard gains into 12 or more yards cannot be understated.
Unfortunately, Mostert didn’t make it out of the first quarter during Week 1 of the 2021 season. That paved the way for the second running back the 49ers drafted last year to lead the way, Elijah Mitchell.
Mitchell ended up appearing in 11 games and averaged 4.