Getting love from a position coach is always a good sign
Kyle Shanahan runs a notoriously complicated offensive system – at least for some people. To listen to 49ers running backs coach Bobby Turner tell it, however, Trey Sermon is handling things beautifully so far:
“He’s absorbing it all. I’m waiting for preseason, for the games, but right now, his head is not spinning. He’s comfortable. He’s a sharp young man. He’s what we thought. It may be different on Saturday when we get in those preseason games, just because of the extra pressure, but it’s not like he hasn’t been in big-time games (at Oklahoma and Ohio State) before.”
Turner’s thoughts mesh with what we’ve seen on the field so far in training camp, with Sermon getting a lot of time with the first-team offense. If he can prove he’s grasped the system mentally and provide adequate pass protection for whichever quarterback is under center, Sermon will top the depth chart sooner rather than later.
In addition to Sermon, Turner also had thoughts on Elijah Mitchell, who he says added 11 pounds since his pro day, when he ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at 200 pounds. Luckily, according to Turner, Mitchell hasn’t lost any of his 4.3 speed despite the additional weight.
Promising signs from rookies like Sermon and Mitchell, combined with veterans Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson (when he returns), and Wayne Gallman, give the 49ers arguably one of the best running back rooms in the entire league.