49ers Sign Wide Receiver Marcus Johnson
The 49ers just signed a deep threat.
Marcus Johnson is their newest wide receiver, according to ESPN. And although he has caught just 51 passes in his five-season career. He could get significant playing time on the 49ers offense.
Johnson, 27, ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in 2016. And that speed has translated to the field in the NFL. Johnson has played for three teams -- the Eagles, the Colts and the Titans, and has averaged a whopping 16.5 yards per catch for his career.
Granted, Johnson hasn't gotten the ball much. But in 2021, he played 44 percent of the Colts offensive snaps when healthy, in 2020 he played 41 percent of the Colts offensive snaps when healthy, and in 2019 he played 81 percent of the Colts' offensive snaps when healthy.
If Johnson makes the team, he probably will run deep clear-out routes which will create space underneath for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and George Kittle. And if the defense forgets about Johnson, he can burn them for long touchdowns, although he hasn't scored a touchdown since 2019.
Johnson is a decent addition to be sure, but the 49ers still need another deep threat. Johnson shouldn't be the only one. New starting quarterback Trey Lance thrives throwing deep and needs a more potent weapon than Johnson and his 51 career catches.
The 49ers currently have five wide receivers on their roster. Look for them to grab a sixth in the upcoming draft, and look for them to take that player as early as Round 3, because it's still a major need.
