The San Francisco 49ers have already added two wide receiver prospects via the 2019 NFL Draft, South Carolina's Deebo Samuel in Round 2 and Baylor's Jalen Hurd in Round 3.
While the Niners failed to produce one 500-yard wide receiver in 2018, they do have a lot of depth. Some, such as second-year pro Dante Pettis, are all but guaranteed spots heading into training camp. As for the rest? Well, it figures to be an awfully stiff competition in training camp.
Here's what San Francisco's wide receiver depth chart currently looks like following the team's NFL Draft actions through three rounds:
- Trent Taylor
- Jordan Smallwood
- Dante Pettis
- Max McCaffrey
- Jordan Matthews
- Richie James Jr.
- Marquise Goodwin
- Steven Dunbar Jr.
- Kendrick Bourne
- Jalen Hurd*
- Deebo Samuel*
* denotes rookie
Teams typically keep only six wide receivers, potentially seven if one can double in another role. Hurd, who stands at 6-foot-5 and played running back at University of Tennessee before transferring to Baylor, could be one of those players.
It's something head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested (h/t 49ers.com's Joe Fann):
Kyle Shanahan said that Jalen Hurd is an NFL caliber running back, tight end and wide receiver.#49ers
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) April 27, 2019
San Francisco needs red-zone help, too, after Shanahan's offense ranked dead last in red-zone touchdown efficiency a season ago. Hurd likely winds up being the favorite for this role as well, creating the kind of mismatches in short areas on the field.
But with that addition, it's likely the Niners will be forced to make tougher decisions with some of their other established pass catchers this training camp and preseason. Barring injury or a complete meltdown, both Hurd and Samuel are safe. Pettis is, too. Speedster Marquise Goodwin is looking to bounce back after a rough 2018 campaign, while there's a budding slot competition between Trent Taylor and second-year pro Richie James. It's even feasible to assume Samuel winds up taking on some of these snaps as well.
Either way, Shanahan also admitted the 49ers will have to cut some starting-caliber receivers this September. And without getting overly complicated, it's not hard to see some relatively well-known names in danger of being let go between now and the regular season.
At least the competition should be good, however.