There were few things as enjoyable as watching the San Francisco 49ers’ reemergence last season, and I type this with a Russell Wilson jersey hanging no less than 20 feet away from me in the closet.
We should always want competitive divisions—how can teams truly call themselves the best if they’re not going up against the best teams? After four consecutive losing seasons—including a two-win season in 2016—the 49ers finally returned to a fraction of their former glory. They posted a 13-3 record, their most wins in nearly a decade, and punched a ticket to the Super Bowl, again their only appearance in almost a decade.
San Francisco, not without its flaws, finally had some depth, real talent—albeit with some kinks to work out—under center, a solid offense, and potent defense. But the NFL is widely known for the moniker “Not For Long,” and in this case, the stability of the 49ers’ offense didn’t last long. The most recent hit to their receiving corps was an injury to 2019 second-round pick, Deebo Samuel. He broke his foot in a throwing session and underwent surgery earlier this week. It went perfectly, Samuel said via Instagram live, and he vowed in 10 weeks “there will be a better Deebo than you have seen;” although the team has yet to be specific about his return date.
Samuel finished the 2019 season as the 49ers’ top wide receiver but No. 2 pass-catcher behind tight end George Kittle. Samuel had 802 yards and three touchdowns on 57 catches and surpassed veteran Emmanuel Sanders, who is now in New Orleans. The 49ers added some depth by drafting Brandon Aiyuk with their 25th overall pick, and Kittle will again be the team’s true WR1. Now, with Sanders gone, there’s room for a WR3 to emerge. Behind Samuel and Aiyuk, who will be a top wide receiver in San Francisco? Here are three options.
Dante Pettis
While the soon-to-be-mentioned Kendrick Bourne has been entirely more consistent over three seasons with the 49ers, Dante Pettis has the potential to become the team’s top receiver—again. He’ll just have a steeper hill to climb this season.
Pettis entered 2019 with WR1 potential but never finished the season; he received multiple public callouts by head coach Kyle Shanahan and was inactive for the Super Bowl. He totaled just 109 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches. This was after an overall successful rookie season. The sophomore slump hit Pettis hard, and 2020 will be a make-or-break year, which is why I’m taking Pettis as the receiver to emerge.
Pettis’ best traits are the ones Shanahan covets; he has great route-running and separation ability. Pettis’ decline is somewhat of a mystery. If it’s a chemistry issue with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, this offseason, which could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, certainly won’t help that. But there’s solace in the fact his decline isn’t a skill issue. If Pettis can work through this slump and play at a consistent level this upcoming season, he’ll be out of Shanahan’s doghouse and a top pass-catcher.
Kendrick Bourne
Bourne has exceeded his value as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). While his impact isn’t nearly as big as other UDFA stars to emerge—say Denver Broncos’ running back Phillip Lindsay out of the 2018 class—he’s been a top performer since 2018. In Bourne’s sophomore year, he was behind Kittle as the 49ers’ WR2 with 487 yards and four touchdowns on 42 catches. He landed in that ballpark again in 2019. Bourne finished the season with 358 yards and five touchdowns on 30 receptions with a 68.2% catch rate.
If the 49ers are trusting what they’ve got, Bourne has been reliable. Besides Kittle and even Samuel, Bourne understands the system and Garoppolo. He’ll need to break out of this receiving corps with a big year in 2020. Can he top a healthy Samuel, a strong rookie season from Aiyuk or Pettis’ upside? I’m not too high on Bourne moving completely into the role of WR3, but San Francisco loves giving Garoppolo a number of options and he can emerge near the top once again.
Trent Taylor
The backend of the receivers depth chart is crowded, and if we aren’t considering free-agent additions, an already established 49er with the potential to emerge would either be Trent Taylor or Jalen Hurd. While I like a great feel-good story—Pettis would obviously be one if he can produce in 2020 and Hurd would be if he has a strong sophomore season after being placed on injured reserve in 2019—I’m leaning toward experience here and that goes to Taylor.
Taylor was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 draft but only has two years under his belt after complications from an offseason foot surgery benched him for all of 2019. He didn’t have meaningful production in 2018—215 yards and one touchdown on 26 catches—but he’s tough and has undeniable chemistry with Garoppolo. During Week 13 in 2017, when Garoppolo got his first start in San Francisco, Taylor recorded single-game career highs: 92 yards and six catches. He has a canny ability to work in limited space and the upside to be added security behind the always-reliable and fear-inducing Kittle.
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