With the veteran lead back Raheem Mostert lost for the year just two carries into San Francisco’s season opener, rookie draft picks Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon figure to carry the rushing load for the 49ers the remainder of 2021. That could give one of those youngsters — or both — an opportunity this season to climb high on this distinguished list of the best rookie running backs in 49ers history.
1 Hugh McElhenny (1952): The No. 9 overall draft pick, McElhenny produced a dazzling rookie season as a triple-threat performer to begin a career that landed him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Quickly earning his nickname “The King,” McElhenny was an impact player from the get-go, rushing for 694 yards and six TDs and leading the NFL with a 7.0-yard average. He also averaged 14.1 yards on his 26 receptions, 14.2 yards on 20 punts returns, and 22.0 yards on 18 kickoff returns. McElhenny’s 10 total touchdowns led the team, and he scored them in three different ways, including an 89-yard run and a 94-yard punt return while becoming the only rookie running back in franchise history to earn first-team All-Pro honors.
Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av Niner Report.
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Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av Niner Report.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EIGHT IS ENOUGH
Set 49ers lineup still has several new starters
Calling all cornerbacks
Loss of Verrett exposes 49ers’ thin depth at CB
Always finding their way to run
49ers system accomplished at developing homegrown talent
ANOTHER COMEBACK?
Resilient veteran Verrett to miss rest of season
TOP 10 Rookie running backs
THE BACK LIST
STOCK UP STOCK DOWN
DEOMMODORE LENOIR | AMBRY THOMAS
Will Mostert run for 49ers again?
Raheem Mostert was primed this year to be the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, featured as the lead performer in San Francisco’s grinding rushing attack while making his climb among the league’s top running backs.
THE WONDER OF WARNER
49ers make All-Pro star highest-paid LB in NFL
Making the right choice at QB
In the weeks that follow after you read this — and perhaps sometime even sooner than that — Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers organization will make a titanic decision that will have present, future and perhaps even everlasting implications for the franchise. It will chart the course for the team’s pivotal 2021 season while determining whether San Francisco really does have the juice to return to powerhouse status and again be considered a legitimate contender to get back to the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 Linebacker seasons
Fred Warner vaulted to stardom with a spectacular 2020 season — and the 49ers rewarded him this summer with a $95.225 million deal that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history. By today’s standards, Warner’s performance last year was worth the money as he posted an Approximate Value of 19 — matching the highest score ever recorded by a San Francisco defender according to a Pro Football Reference formula that puts a single number on each player-season across all positions since 1960. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman (twice) also had seasons with an AV of 19 as they dominate this list of the greatest individual seasons by a linebacker in 49ers history.
