Where Each 49ers Wide Receiver Stands Post-Draft

Of the 12 wide receivers on the 49ers' roster, who will make the team come September?

Author:
Nicolas Newman
Apr 27, 2020 3:51 PM EDT

There was a lot of wide-receiver action this past weekend, as the 49ers drafted Brandon Aiyuk (Arizona St.) and JaJuan Jennings (Tennessee) in the first and seventh rounds. The team also added Chris Finkle (Notre Dame) as an undrafted free agent.

The additions did not come without any subtractions, as Marquise Goodwin was traded to the Eagles along with pick No. 210. In return, the 49ers received pick No. 190, which they used on tight end Charlie Woerner.

Post-draft, the 49ers have 12 wide receivers on their current roster:

Deebo Samuel
Brandon Aiyuk
Kendrick Bourne
Dante Pettis
Trent Taylor
Jalen Hurd
Richie James Jr.
JaJuan Jennings
Travis Benjamin
Shawn Poindexter
Chris Thompson
Chris Finke

ASSESSING THE POSITION

The Sure-Fire Receivers: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kendrick Bourne

Brandon Aiyuk immediately joins Deebo Samuel as a top featured wide receiver. During Aiyuk's time at Arizona State, he was utilized very similarly to how Samuel was utilized last season. The Aiyuk-and-Samuel duo gives Kyle Shanahan a pair of explosive playmakers who can line up at a variety of offensive positions.

After Aiyuk and Samuel comes Bourne. While Samuel and Aiyuk are home-run-hitting threats who are at their best when the ball is in their hands, Bourne is a dependable possession receiver who will move the chains and catch touchdowns.

Bourne is in the mix to start the season next to Samuel, or at the very least see the next highest volume of snaps. Over the course of Bourne's career, he has shown continuous improvement each season and has seen the field more often because of it. Now entering his fourth season, Bourne is a serious breakout candidate.

The Unforeseen Winner: Dante Pettis

Despite all of the trade rumors, Dante Pettis is still a 49er. Even with the addition of Aiyuk, it is looking more and more likely that Pettis will get another shot to prove himself. Whether or not Pettis will do that is unknown, but the bottom line is that it appears he will get another opportunity. Huge win for Pettis.

Throughout the second half of his rookie season in 2018, Pettis showed why the 49ers traded up in the second round to draft him. Between weeks 12-16, Pettis caught 20 passes for 359 yards (17.95 per catch) and 4 touchdowns. Pettis has shown he has the ability to be a good wide receiver in the NFL.

If Pettis takes advantage of this opportunity and manages to escape from Shanahan’s doghouse, then he has a legit shot to earn back his playing time. That is a big if but, if all works out, Pettis as the team’s fourth wide receiver would be a win for a lot of reasons. Pettis will be an interesting story line to follow as the season approaches.

The Loser: Richie James Jr.

The addition of Aiyuk doesn’t hurt any returning 49er receiver’s chances to make the team more than James. Before the 49ers acquired Emmanuel Sanders last year, James played an average of 30% of the 49ers offensive snaps. After the 49ers acquired Sanders, James played and average of only 13% of the 49ers offensive snaps.

Not only will Aiyuk take away from James’ offensive snaps like Sanders did, but Aiyuk also will threaten to take James' return job. James has been returning kicks and punts for the 49ers for the last two years. However, his time may be coming to an end. Last Season at ASU, Aiyuk averaged 31 yards a kick return and 16 yards per punt return.

If James loses his return job to Aiyuk, he’ll subsequently lose his roster spot as well. Early on, it is not looking good for Richie James Jr.

The Wildcards: Jalen Hurd, Trent Taylor, Travis Benjamin, Jauan Jennings, and Chris Finke

Jalen Hurd is the ultimate wildcard of the 49ers’ receiving group. At 6’5”, 226 pounds, Hurd is a physical freak. Having played both running back and wide receiver in college, Hurd is a unique weapon that Shanhan can utilize in a multitude of ways.

After red-shirting his rookie season with a back injury, John Lynch is "very optimistic but not overly optimistic" that Hurd will be ready to go for camp. If healthy, Hurd will be one of the biggest story lines leading up to the season.

Trent Taylor was the star of training camp last season. That was all he was the star of though, as he missed the entire 2019 season with a foot injury and infection. When healthy, Taylor is arguably the 49ers best slot receiver.

Taylor also has arguably has the best rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo out of all the receivers. Over the course of Garoppolo’s 5 game win streak in 2017, Taylor caught 17 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.

A healthy Taylor operating out of the slot could quickly become a best friend for Garoppolo. Taylor is entering the last year of his rookie contract, so the clock is certainly ticking for Taylor to start making things happen during the regular season.

Travis Benjamin is the lone proven deep threat out of all the 49ers’ receivers. When Marquise Goodwin was traded, his absence opened the door for Benjamin to slide right into Goodwin's role. However, Benjamin has not produced in recent years. His last notable season was in 2017, where he had 567 yards and four touchdowns.

Benjamin is a wildcard here, because of his ability to stretch the field. His 15.1 yards per reception for his career ranks first out of all the 49ers’ receivers. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Benjamin, because his skill set is different from all the other receivers.

Jauan Jennings is a very physical wide receiver, who plays with a mean streak. The 49ers have had a ton of success with their seventh-round draft picks. In fact, every single one of Lynch and Shanahan’s picks in the 7th round have made an impact on NFL rosters (Adrian Colbert, Jullian Taylor, and Richie James Jr.).

There is no doubt Jennings can play. He played for Tennessee in the SEC and caught 146 passes for over 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career.

Jennings will compete to win a spot on the roster. Time will tell if Lynch and Shanahan have found another solid seventh-round draft pick or if they have their first seventh-round flop on their hands.

Chris Finke, an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame, may sneak his way onto the 49ers roster. At the combine, Finke had the second fastest 10-yard split behind Henry Ruggs.

At 5’10”, Finke projects to be a slot receiver in the NFL. If he makes an impact during camp and the preseason, he may take Taylor’s slot job. Especially if Tayor can’t stay healthy.

The Camp Bodies: Shawn Poindexter and Chris Thompson

Shawn Poindexter tore his ACL last season during the second preseason game against the Denver Broncos. At 6’5” Poindexter is a large target, but his chances of putting that large body to use in a regular season game for the 49ers is very slim.

Chris Thompson spent last season on the 49ers’ practice squad. It won’t be any easier for Thompson to make the team this year, and his chances to do so are very unlikely.

Poindexter and Thompson both find themselves on the outside looking in.

My way-too-early wide-receiver projections:

On roster (6):