Who is the Ideal Wide Receiver for the 49ers at Pick No. 13?
It’s no secret that one of the biggest needs for the San Francisco 49ers is wide receiver. Addressing the position in the draft is almost a certainty and many feel general manager John Lynch will spend one of the team’s two first-round picks on a wideout.
San Francisco will have plenty of options as this year’s receiver class is extremely deep. However, as far as fit with the team goes, there is one prospect that stands out among the rest.
Here we’ll take a look at which of the top three wide receivers - CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs - would be the ideal fit for the 49ers. It’s unlikely that all of them will be on the board at pick 13, but for the purpose of this exercise, we’ll assume that Lynch gets his pick of the litter.
This will provide insight into who the organization’s top target might be and who knows, maybe some luck works in the Red and Gold’s favor and the trio slides on draft day.
CeeDee Lamb
Lamb was one of the most dominant pass-catchers in college football last season and fits into just about any scheme at the next level. As far as head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system goes, the Oklahoma product’s ability to make plays with the ball in his hands will make him a deadly weapon in San Francisco.
The coach’s creativity in the screen game and use of wide receivers in the rushing attack will complement the prospect’s skill set perfectly.
One of the biggest concerns with Lamb is his lack of top-end speed. With a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at the combine, he won’t blow by very many NFL defensive backs. The 49ers lost a legitimate deep threat with Emmanuel Sanders’ departure, and the former Sooner wouldn’t be a perfect fit to fill that role for the team.
Jerry Jeudy
One of the best route runners in this draft class is Jerry Jeudy. He can run every route in the route tree and has good explosion and acceleration to get open on double moves and be a vertical threat as well. Like Lamb, the Alabama product can also make plays after the catch but relies on his speed, whereas the former wins with his ability to break tackles.
The biggest issue with Jeudy’s fit in San Francisco is that he was primarily a slot receiver in college. Deebo Samuel already fills that role for the Red and Gold and while both guys can play outside, it’s not where either of them is at their best. Shanahan likes to use a lot of 21-personnel which means if these two are on the field together in those sets, one of them will have to be out of position and they may not compliment each other.
Henry Ruggs III
The best way to describe Henry Ruggs III is to call him a speed demon. He clocked the fastest time at the combine with a 4.27-second 40-yard dash, and he would certainly fill the 49ers’ need for a deep threat. Beyond just being able to get down the field, he’s good at beating press coverage which should translate to the NFL well, and he excelled as an outside receiver in Tuscaloosa.
Part of the issue with Ruggs is he’s not quite the route runner his college teammate, Jeudy, is. The speedster struggles to execute double moves and make 90-degree cuts, which raises some questions about his legitimacy as a number one wide receiver. San Francisco is looking for a primary option at the position and this Alabama product may not fill that need.
The Ideal Wide Receiver
If Lynch is going to select a wideout with the 13th overall selection, the ideal pick would be CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb has the versatility to play on the outside and in the slot, so he’ll complement Samuel well and has the position flexibility that Shanahan seems to covet. The Oklahoma product also has the tools to open up the playbook even further with his running back like skills when toting the rock.
While he lacks the speed to beat NFL defensive backs over the top, he can win consistently in contested catch situations and isn’t slow by any means, so he can still stretch the field without having a blazing 40-time.
