What We Know About Raheem Mostert:

Mostert could make an interesting play this week

If Banged-up Breida and Freddy Molasses comprise a team’s backfield, it’s a good idea to check the 3rd option. Raheem Mostert, standing 5’9” and weighing between 183–197 lbs., is something of a mystery man. The undrafted back out of Purdue is 26 years old and has only seen 32 career rushing attempts. And now he has an opportunity to become the preferred option out of the 49ers backfield.

Mostert isn’t short on speed (4.42 40-time), or explosiveness (96th percentile). In size and athletic measurables, he’s a carbon copy of Matt Breida. So if you were excited about what Breida could accomplish in Shanahan’s scheme, there’s no reason you shouldn’t feel the same way about his veteran stablemate.

A missing element from this offense has been a running back who excels as a receiver, prompting the use of Kyle Juszczyk. Is Mostert that missing element? It’s impossible to know, as the 6 receptions on 6 targets he’s caught this year are the total for his NFL career. What we do know is that he’s a special teams player, with stints as a kick returner throughout his career. Perhaps that lends some credence to his ability to operate with the ball in his hands.

A troubling detail of note: Despite extremely sparing usage throughout his career, Mostert has fumbled 4 times, including once this season.

We don’t know how healthy Breida will be here on out. While he gets credit for his ability to pull it together on game day, I see a guy who is too tough for his own good and suffers because of it. Even when Breida returns, neither he nor Mostert profile as workhorse backs, leaving plenty of work for the both of them. Provided Mostert displays reliable hands, he could be one of the year’s top waiver pickups. According to Pro Football Focus, C.J. Beathard targeted running backs on 32.1 percent of his passes in 2017. That’s a lot.