Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus published his list of the NFL's top 25 running backs, which utilizes the analytics site's play-by-play grading and statistics. San Francisco 49ers.running back Raheem Mostert came in at No. 22 on the list after an impressive finish to the 2019 season and playoff performances.
The highlight of Mostert's season was his 29-carry, 220-yard, and four-rushing-touchdown performance in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers. The running back asked for a trade during the offseason due to stalled contract negotiations, but in the end, he and the 49ers agreed on a reworked deal.
"No player had a higher rushing grade per play in zone schemes last season than Mostert," wrote Linsey. "His breakaway speed is ideal for the big plays that San Francisco hunts in the run game, and he put it on full display in the 49ers' run to the Super Bowl this past season."
Mostert finished the season as the 49ers' leading rusher with 137 carries for 772 yards with eight rushing touchdowns. He added 14 receptions for 180 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns to his statistics.
But it was his impressive playoff performances that made everyone take notice.
"Across San Francisco's three playoff games, Mostert forced 17 missed tackles on 53 carries and averaged 4.3 yards after contact per attempt," added Linsey. "Those are big reasons why he's set to return to the offense as the lead back in 2020 on a new contract. He was extremely efficient with his carries during the regular season, as well, but the obvious question becomes: Can he do it across a full season as the lead back? He's carried the ball just 231 times in regular season and postseason NFL action after bouncing around teams early in his career. If he repeats his 2019 rushing performance on a larger workload in 2020, it would warrant a bump up the rankings this time next offseason."
