Taking Stock of the 49ers Wide Receivers
Are the 49ers wide receivers getting better or worse?
Let's take stock.
Brandon Aiyuk
He's the total package and he has maximized his skill set. He's an elite route runner, he's good after the catch, he's tough, he can make acrobatic catches and he's an outstanding blocker. He does everything well and he's still improving. If the 49ers gave him 10 or 11 targets per game, which he has earned, he could gain more than 2,000 yards in a season. His best is yet to come. He's going to get a mondo extension this offseason.
Stock up
Deebo Samuel
He used to be the offense. Almost everything ran through him. Now, he's not much of a running back anymore, his jet sweeps and end arounds have mostly been figured out and shut down, and he can't beat man-to-man coverage. At this point in his career, he's an aging, expensive screen specialist who gets injured frequently and doesn't really have a position anymore. His contract is one of the worst in football. The 49ers have to regret extending his deal. They should cut bait, take the dead cap hit and trade him while he still has value.
Stock down
Jauan Jennings
He's one of the only 49ers who showed up in the Super Bowl. Had they won, he likely would have been the Super Bowl MVP. Whenever one of the 49ers' starting wide receivers gets injured, Jennings steps up and plays extremely well. Like Aiyuk, Jennings simply needs more targets. He has earned them, but he probably won't get them here because the 49ers have so many mouths to feed. And now he's a restricted free agent, which means some team might give him a big contract offer and the 49ers may or may not match it, depending on how expensive it is. Jennings could be a goner.
Stock up
Ray Ray McCloud
He's an unrestricted free agent who fumbled in the Super Bowl and caught 12 passes during the regular season. Time to move on.
Stock down
Ronnie Bell
He's a terrible returner, but he's a good route runner who's tough and has good body control to contort himself in the air. He has potential as Aiyuk's backup.
Stock up
Danny Gray
He got injured in the preseason and never played again. Either he never healed or the 49ers lost interest in him. He's a wide receiver who can't catch.
Stock down
