When a team has a talented offense like the San Francisco 49ers — OK, maybe no team does right now — making the roster on that side of the ball takes a lot of ability. So it could come as no surprise that among the three cut candidates heading into NFL training camp is a very familiar name. Running back Elijah Mitchell may be on the cut bubble.
And Mitchell is joined on the potential chopping block by wide receiver Danny Gray and tight end Cameron Latu.
Would the 49ers really part ways with RB Elijah Mitchell?
Short answer: Yes. And it starts with the fact he’s not dependable to get on the field. In three seasons, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder has played a total of 27 games.
The good side of things for Mitchell has been his production. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2021, totaling 1,100 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns. However, injuries limited him to five games in 2022.
Another reason the 49ers may consider moving on from Mitchell is the loaded backfield. Of course it starts with Christian McCaffrey, who has no peers.
And then there’s rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo out of Louisville. He has already turned some heads, and they should be turned. The 6-foot, 221-pound Guerendo ran a 4.33 in the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Yes, big and super fast.
Throwing in Jordan Mason and Patrick Taylor Jr. creates a crowd. And then there’s Cody Schrader. He’s not very big at 5-foot-8, but he’s tough as nails.
All of these things will make training camp tough for Mitchell. That’s especially true if all of the injuries have cost him some burst. He’s already a “high runner,” which opens the door for more injury potential. When the dust clears, Mitchell may stick. But the trending direction says he’s at least in trouble.
WR Danny Gray made have faded from San Francisco landscape
Danny came into the NFL with fanfare. The 49ers grabbed him in the third round of the 2022 draft, pick No. 105 overall. The 6-foot, 200-pounder had that look. Good size. Wheels.
But it didn’t carry over to the playing surface. And Gray’s stat line reads like the proverbial Major League Baseball cup of coffee. He has one catch on seven targets for a measly 10 yards.
Maybe that line would be more understandable if Gray played in the slot. But for a guy whose draft resume suggested he could take the top off of NFL defenses, one catch should have been for 20, 30 or even 40 yards.
So there’s the disappointment, but here’s the reality. In the first round of the 2024 draft, the 49ers grabbed Ricky Pearsall out of Florida. Pearsall isn’t an elite speed guy, but he immediately bumped Gray down a notch on the depth chart.
Then in the fourth round, the 49ers selected another wideout, Jacob Cowing of Arizona. And Gray became a third-team dude in the span of a couple of days. It’s likely he won’t make it through training camp.
Can TE Cameron Latu hang on to a roster spot?
Latu injured his knee in the 2023 preseason and spent the year on injured reserve. But it happened after a bad training camp where he often looked mismatched against NFL-level players.
But the 6-foot-5, 244-pounder could have carved a spot when the 49ers didn’t draft a tight end. However, San Francisco added free-agent Logan Thomas to the tight end room. That’s an automatic downgrade for Latu’s playing-time chances.
He’s already on a team with NFL star George Kittle, so Latu may need a remarkable training camp to have a chance at making the roster.
