An outstanding and deep group of wide receivers enters this year's draft. The San Francisco 49ers could be looking to upgrade the position, especially if the team declines to re-sign veteran Emmanuel Sanders.
Deebo Samuel emerged as a very good receiver during his rookie 2019 campaign and was a big part of why the offense was so successful down the stretch. While the arrow went up for Samuel, a receiver from the previous draft class regressed.
Dante Pettis couldn't even get on the football field during the second half of the season. He didn't record a single catch in his final 11 games, including the playoffs, and was inactive for three of those games, including Super Bowl LIV. Pettis was last targeted by his quarterback during Week 10.
From the outside looking in, it seems Pettis is viewed as a non-factor. That led many to question his future with San Francisco.
General manager John Lynch spoke with reporters on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He was asked about this year's draft class and his receiver group, which included a comment about Pettis.
"We do, in fact, really like our group," Lynch said, "and we feel like one way of looking at it is we've got some players coming back to us. Jalen Hurd, you know, was a third-round pick. We never got to see him, and so he's got to show that he can do it, but we think he's got some talents.
"Dante Pettis is still a guy we have a lot of belief in, and it's incumbent upon him to have a tremendous offseason so that he sets himself up for success.
"And Trent Taylor was having a tremendous camp. So we see some guys who can add to what we already had, and then who knows whether we add to it via the draft or any other avenue."
Should Lynch and the 49ers choose to add a receiver via the draft, this is a fantastic class to do it. The general manager knows that.
"The draft class is incredibly strong," Lynch commented. "That's my fourth Combine, and it's as good as I've ever seen. I mean, the depth of it, the top-end players, it's a really good class.
"You kind of get whatever flavor you like. You like a smaller, quicker guy? Those guys are there. If you like the big guys that can move, those guys are there. If you like speed, that's there. If you like separators. And so I think the whole league is kind of smiling about that."
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