It would be an understatement to call the 2018 campaign a disappointment for the 49ers’ receiving corps. Kendrick Bourne led the group with 42 receptions and 487 yards. A massive overhaul at receiver could be underway in San Francisco.
A quick look at the roster doesn’t reveal a ton of untouchable pieces in that group. Dante Pettis, a Round 2 selection last year who turned in a good rookie campaign when he was healthy, should have a prominent role this season. After that it’s shaky.
Marquise Goodwin led the team in receiving in 2017, but his availability due to injury has been a concern through most of his career. He got hurt in Week 1 last year and dealt with injuries seemingly all year. He also missed time to handle some very serious events in his personal life, but that won’t be held against him.
Kendrick Bourne led the team in receiving last season, but he’s never been a consistently reliable pass catcher since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2017.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters at the NFL owners meetings that consistency due to workload was a problem for both Goodwin and Bourne.
“They’ve done some good things for us. They helped us. I also want them to continue to get better,” he said. “You know, there hasn’t been a consistency. At times, they’ve played at a high level. They’ve been out there a lot as starting receivers, which I don’t think always needs to be the case. I think we can get other guys in there to take the pressure off of them. When we have – when Dante started to do that last year, especially toward the end of the year – that helped us with the other guys. Even though the numbers might not be the same, that helps us play at a higher level because they’re not out there every single play, you’re not asking them to do a bunch of stuff they don’t excel at. You kind of use them in their areas of expertise. The more we can add to the group, the more of a help we get.”
Shanahan clearly wants to add more players to compete for receiver jobs, and that could lead to a pretty dramatic shakeup at the position for the 49ers. Here’s a quick look at the state of San Francisco’s wide receivers heading into the draft:
Dante Pettis
The second-year receiver was very good when he was healthy last season. A knee injury in Week 4 forced him to miss three weeks, then another knee injury in Week 16 knocked him out for the final game. He still finished the year with 27 catches for 467 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. Pettis appears to fit perfectly in Shanahan’s offense, and should be productive as long as he’s on the field. He’ll be a lock for a roster spot.
Marquise Goodwin
San Francisco relied heavily on Goodwin in 2017, and he responded with a career year. He had 56 catches for 962 yards and two touchdowns. In 2018 he got hurt in Week 1 and wound up with 395 yards and four touchdowns on 23 catches. Injuries were a problem for Goodwin much of his time in Buffalo, and the 49ers will try to limit his snaps by adding better depth behind him. It’s also worth noting he can be released with a relatively low dead cap hit. San Francisco will want Goodwin back, but his roster spot and role as a top target in the passing game is less stable than it was a year ago at this time.
Kendrick Bourne
The former undrafted free agent is going into the final year of his rookie deal. Bourne is a very good No. 4 or 5 option in a strong receiving corps, but San Francisco can’t lean on him to play a heavy percentage of snaps, even in the event of an injury. Where Bourne has a ton of value is in the red zone. He showed last season he can play bigger than his 6-2 frame, and he should carve out a roster spot at the back of the depth chart while getting most of his looks inside the 20.
Trent Taylor
Offseason back surgery limited Taylor some last season, but his rookie year offered some promise for him as a slot option. He hauled in 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns in 2017. His shiftiness and willingness to take a shot over the middle make him a valuable target in all areas of the field. Health will be a big factor for him though. A fully healthy offseason should help, and getting back into a rhythm with Jimmy Garoppolo should get Taylor back toward his rookie year production.
Richie James
James may fall victim to a numbers issue at receiver if he can’t contribute outside of the slot. The 2018 seventh-round pick made only limited contributions after a big preseason. He finished the year with nine receptions, 130 yards and a touchdowns. James was also a good kick returner who took a touchdown back against the Seahawks. If San Francisco is aiming to better equip their receiving corps to take the load off the top of the depth chart though, James will need to do more than return kicks and play the slot.
Jordan Matthews
It’s been a tough couple years for Matthews after a very promising start to his career. He posted good numbers through three years in Philadelphia, then struggled with Buffalo, and was cut by the Patriots before going back to the Eagles. Matthews may find a roster spot just by being able to play multiple receiver spots, including giving the 49ers a 6-3, 215-pound option in the slot. If he can work in as a Z receiver, as well as play in the slot, it may be enough to earn him regular snaps.
Steven Dunbar Jr.
Dunbar’s only action came in Week 17 last season when San Francisco had to tap into their practice squad because of injuries to their receivers on the 53-man roster. He logged one snap on offense. Earning one snap in such a makeshift receiving corps doesn’t bode well for his future.
Max McCaffrey
McCaffrey had a rough start to the year. He was in camp with the 49ers last year, but was cut after undergoing foot surgery. The NFL also suspended him for four games for violating league rules. San Francisco re-added him late in the year, and moved him to the active roster for the final week of the year. McCaffrey got five snaps in that game, but didn’t earn a target.
Jordan Smallwood
The 49ers signed Smallwood to their practice squad, but never brought him up to the 53-man roster. He’s unlikely to factor heavily into the position battle at receiver.
