Trey Sermon

It was no real shock last season when a rookie stole the spotlight in the San Francisco backfield. What might have been a surprise was which rookie running back did the deed. Taken in the third round out of Ohio State, Sermon was overshadowed by sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell, who impressed his coaches more in the preseason and then took over lead-back duties when Raheem Mostert got injured. Sermon did show what he could do in Week 4 when both Mostert and Mitchell were sidelined, cranking out 89 rushing yards on 19 carries, but he then saw only 12 touches the rest of the year, missing a game as a healthy scratch and then because of an ankle injury. Sermon was waived by the 49ers in August, however, and quickly claimed by Philadelphia, where he'll provide his new team with backfield depth behind Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.

A third-round pick, Sermon could not have found a better landing spot than San Francisco. A one-year starter at Ohio State after transferring from Oklahoma, he never posted 1,000 yards in college, but Sermon has the size, power and explosiveness to be an effective weapon in the NFL. Questions were raised about his vision and elusiveness, and his upright running style makes it tough for him to stay on his feet after contact and could lead to injuries down the road, but in a Kyle Shanahan scheme built around getting players the ball in open space, some of those issues fade in importance. Sermon is no match for teammate Raheem Mostert in the speed department, but the rookie could still earn carries off the bench early in the season, especially after Jeff Wilson had knee surgery in May. If he does eventually end up in a starting role, Sermon has the skills (and team context) to make an impact.