One of the many intriguing training camp battles for the San Francisco 49ers will be at the wide receiver spot. As Nick Wagoner of ESPN noted in his most recent training camp preview, players like Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin, and Jeremy Kerley look like locks to make the 53-man roster. Trent Taylor was the only wide receiver selected in the draft this year and impressed during the 49ers' offseason program. Behind those four, anything can happen.
Aldrick Robinson might be a safe bet to win a roster spot as well, but there is a lot of youth at the wide receiver position and those young players are looking to impress the coaches enough to overtake some veterans or returning players like Bruce Ellington. One of those young players is rookie Victor Bolden out of Oregon State. He was among the players who Wagoner felt was displaying good playmaking ability during the offseason program.
As a sophomore, Bolden led the Beavers in receptions with 72 catches for 798 yards and two touchdowns while also contributing as a kick returner on special teams. Over his final two years at Oregon State, Bolden accumulated 92 receptions for 1,003 yards and five touchdowns, again while contributing on special teams. That versatility is likely what made Bolden an attractive undrafted free agent signing for the 49ers.
How versatile is #49ers WR Victor Bolden? In college, he caught 170 balls, had 95 rushing attempts & returned kicks. Can do it all. #49wz
— Al Sacco (@AlSacco49) July 16, 2017
"I think with my speed and being able to make plays in space and being able to do more than one thing on the field definitely caught the eye of a lot of NFL coaches," Bolden said of his versatility while on the latest 49ers Webzone "No Huddle" podcast. "I just want to continue to do the right thing and do all the little details that I need to do to make sure that I can provide that on the next level. Just working hard and getting ready for this opportunity coming up."
Bolden was seen as an explosive receiver in college. A network covering one of his games measured the young receiver topping out at a speed of 22.5 MPH. "And that's in full pads," said the game announcer. "Talking to strength coaches around the country, they say anyone going over 20 miles per hour is flying."
That speed did not transfer to the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year where Bolden recorded a 40-time of 4.54 seconds. Podcast host Al Sacco pointed out that, while his Combine numbers may not have shown it, Bolden looks so much faster on film. Sacco asked Bolden about his game speed.
"I think that I have pretty elite game speed," Bolden said. "Even within straight-line speed, I clocked a 10.7 in the 100 (meters) in high school so I have the straight-line speed. It just didn't transcend that day for the Combine but coaches still see my game film and, like you said, you can see my speed on tape."
What does Bolden believe he can bring to the 49ers in 2017 and perhaps beyond if given the opportunity?
"I think I can be a playmaker," Bolden said. "I have the ability to make plays in space. I can stretch the field downfield but I also can separate within the offense like on third or fourth downs against linebackers and just be a good route runner. I bring different things to the table and I think that I can be a great asset to the team this year."
You can listen to the entire interview with Bolden on the 49ers Webzone "No Huddle" podcast.