The Facts: Mitchell was playing hurt toward at the end of the season. He said he required a clean-up procedure on his knee.

Diehards Line: Coming off a 963-yard rookie season, Mitchell proved ideal for Kyle Shanahan's scheme with his ability to get wide, make the correct cuts and run through arm tackles. As CBSSports.com notes, Mitchell's rise came without warning as he was drafted well after Trey Sermon and veteran holdovers Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. seemed to have the edge in experience. But Mostert and Wilson were sidelined by injuries and Sermon was a huge disappointment, leaving Mitchell to be a prime waiver-add add after Week 1. Mitchell suited up for 11 games last year, missing the other six with a combination of shoulder, rib, finger, head and knee issues. ... We'll see if a healthy Mitchell can continue to hold down the lead role in an offense that is built to handle turnover at the position.