San Francisco picks Erath’s Mitchell in sixth round of draft

Published 5:00 am Sunday, May 2, 2021

LAFAYETTE — Elijah Mitchell is headed to the Bay Area.

The former Erath and University of Louisiana star running back was selected with the No. 194th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon.

“I’m the guy who is going to come in, get in the playbook and I am going to learn it fast,” Mitchell said in a social media video posted by the team. “In the league you have to play special teams so I am a guy that can do that too. So whatever team picks me up I want to be a playmaker for them.”

“We are incredibly proud of Elijah Mitchell,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Billy Napier wrote in a social media post. “He represents exactly what Louisiana Football is about, as a person, student, and now as a professional football player. The San Francisco 49ers are getting a great teammate who will embrace his role and work to earn more. He truly represents the #cULture! Congratulations to Eli.”

In four seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns, the 5-foot-10, 201-pound Mitchell appeared in 42 games, rushed for 3,267 yards. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry, and scored 41 rushing touchdowns. Mitchell also caught 49 passes for 597 yards and five receiving touchdowns.

Mitchell earned second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors twice (2018, 2019) and first-team All-SBC honors once (2020). Mitchell also took part in the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this year.

“This young man has everything that you are looking for,” NFL Network and former Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew said Saturday. “He is slippery when he runs. He gets skinny through the hole. Great acceleration. Long home run speed.”

Mitchell is the third Ragin’ Cajuns running back to be drafted in the past five years. Raymond Calais was selected in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 245 pick, and Elijah McGuire was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round with the 188th pick.

Mitchell was the second running back selected by head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in this year’s draft. San Francisco also drafted Ohio State’s Trey Sermon in the third round with the No. 88 overall pick.

Mitchell and Sermon will join a 49ers running back room that includes starter Raheem Mostert and free agent-signing Wayne Gallman of the New York Giants.

Despite that crowded room, ESPN NFL analyst Louis Reddick believes that Mitchell has immense potential in the NFL.

“I will tell you this,” Reddick said on Saturday’s telecast. “I think Kyle Shanahan once again may have just found his late round gem at the running back position.”