With the 34th pick in the fifth round (177 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers have selected Louisiana Tech wide receiver Trent Taylor.
Taylor played as a true freshman in 2013 as a receiver and punt returner. The next year, he was used more on offense and had 64 catches for 834 yards and nine touchdowns. Taylor was a first-team all-conference pick as the team's leading receiver during his junior year when he caught 99 passes for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns. As a senior, he was once again first-team all-conference following his 136 catches for 1,803 yards and 12 touchdowns through 14 games. His reception total ranked second to East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones' record-breaking 158 catches.
Pro Football Focus stats to know: Averaged 3.28 yards per route run out of the slot, ranked second in the nation among all slot receivers.
"High-volume target with great hands and an ability to punch well above his weight class in the toughness department. Taylor's production is impressive, but his size and lack of explosive punt return talent could make his path to an NFL roster challenging."
"Taylor is a smart, tough and resilient receiver who will do well lining up in the slot, being used on receiver screen passes and as a return specialist at the next level."
"While Taylor isn't getting as much hype as his teammate (Henderson), he's still an effective receiver who should find a place in the NFL. He'll never be anything more than a slot receiver, but that's a very important position in today's NFL. Taylor is extremely quick with strong hands, and knows how to read a defense and find openings. He's a guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder that will motivate him against bigger NFL athletes. He should be able to contribute as a slot receiver fairly quickly."
Measurables
Height: 5-8
Weight: 181 lbs.
Arm length: 28 3/4 inches
Hand length: 8 1/4 inches
49ers Notebook: Javon Hargrave's first 49ers thoughts; Trent Williams' weird late-night workout schedule; Wilks on DBs; Deommodore Lenoir wants to be elite
By Kirk Larrabee
Jun 7
The 49ers ended their offseason workout program on Wednesday with their final session of mandatory minicamp. But before they made their way out the door for the summer, the team gave fans and reporters one last dose of info in the form of the final media sessions of the spring.
Among those speaking to reporters on Wednesday were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, as well as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Each session produced some interesting tidbits, which we'll review in this version of 49ers notebook.
Hargrave speaks
Despite being the splash free agent addition of the offseason for the 49ers, Javon Hargrave had not met with the team's beat reporters in person before Wednesday.
Trent Williams vs. Nick Bosa: Who is more valuable to the 49ers in 2023?
By JD Salazar
18 hrs
It's that time of the offseason.
The draft has come and gone, OTAs have just started up, but several months still remain between now and the first snap of the 2023 season. Given the lull in breaking news and big games, it's a good time to get a bit more... philosophical.
Today, I wanted to compare two of the 49ers' most consistent talents of the 2022 season - veteran LT Trent Williams and reigning DPOY Nick Bosa. The question is simple; given a full, healthy season, who does more to help the 49ers win a Super Bowl this year? Whose talents are the most vital to the annual quest for a Lombardi Trophy, and which one can San Francisco least afford to lose?
These players, of course, play entirely different positions and occupy different roles on the team.
49ers' Trent Williams shares honest thoughts on Javon Hargrave, Drake Jackson
By David Bonilla
Jun 7
There is no tougher task for a defensive lineman than going against San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro. Luckily for 49ers defenders, Williams sat out much of this week's mandatory minicamp. That will change once the rigors of training camp begin at the end of next month.
Observing from the sideline has allowed Williams to evaluate the 49ers' prized offseason addition, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. What are the offensive lineman's early impressions?
"I hadn't seen him play (this offseason), but we got enough of him back in [the NFC Championship Game]," Williams told reporters on Wednesday. "But we know what he can do, and I was ecstatic that we ain't got to see him on the other sideline again.
PFF: 49ers' elite roster is reason for optimism despite "up in the air" QB situation
By David Bonilla
Jun 8
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus went through all 32 NFL teams and picked a reason for optimism for each heading into the 2023 season. For example, last season's five-win Denver Broncos got a new Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton. Kenny Pickett could be ready for a second-year leap with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Hopefully, not in Week 1, though).
What's the reason for optimism for the San Francisco 49ers? Sikkema admits that picking just one reason is challenging, so he went with the team's elite roster. San Francisco has stockpiled talented playmakers at almost every level.
"Yes, their quarterback situation is still up in the air," wrote Sikkema. "But
