2021 San Francisco 49ers Roster Preview: Huge Receivers
With the birth of coaching camp about three weeks away, now is the proper time to look at out every participant on the San Francisco 49ers roster, and how they fit with the personnel heading into coaching camp. So a long way, we’ve covered the quarterbacks and working backs. Lately let’s tackle a detect at the wide receivers.
Brandon Aiyuk
San Francisco confirmed how unheard of they believed in Aiyuk after they moved up in the 2020 draft to construct up out him with the 25th accumulate. The previous Arizona Direct standout proved that the conclusion became correctly basically based, striking collectively one of basically among the finest rookie seasons for a extensive receiver in personnel historic previous. Had Aiyuk been ready to play the total 16-game schedule it’s terribly seemingly that he would accumulate broken Jerry Rice’s personnel myth for rookie receiving yards.
Aiyuk confirmed flashes of his playmaking skill early on, nonetheless surely began to indicate his abilities with a solid string of games all the strategy in which thru the second half of the season. Throughout a six-week stretch that began with the victory in Contemporary England, Aiyuk would life like 7.5 receptions and 94.6 yards per game to connect himself as one of the necessary prime rookie receivers in the NFL
Aiyuk is the smoothest route runner on the 49ers, taking a detect extra esteem a ragged than a rookie. It needs to be no shock that his strongest stretch of play came in the second half of the one year. The NFL game moves unheard of sooner than it does in college and it took him about that lengthy to acclimate. If Aiyuk can quit wholesome and construct on his rookie marketing campaign, he would possibly maybe unexcited mission for a dwelling on the Skilled Bowl roster in 2021.
Deebo Samuel
Expectations in 2020 ran high for Samuel after a solid rookie season. These expectations would stagger unfulfilled nonetheless as a foot ruin whereas figuring out ahead of coaching camp and hamstring issues all over the season would restrict Samuel to most effective seven games in his sophomore marketing campaign.
When Samuel became ready to assemble on the discipline, he positively made his presence known. In two upset victories over the Los Angeles Rams and but any other over the Contemporary England Patriots, Samuel became arguably basically among the finest offensive participant. In those three games he carved his method thru the opposing protection with 22 receptions for 264 yards and his lone touchdown on the one year.
Samuel is one of the necessary prime weapons on the 49ers offense, and his mere presence on the discipline creates openings for his teammates due to the the amount of consideration he requires from the protection. He would possibly maybe not be basically the most polished of route runners, nonetheless his versatility bigger than makes up for this. On any given play Samuel would possibly maybe even be stumbled on working a slant, catching a computer screen, taking a push bound on a jet sweep or lining up in the backfield.
Basically among the finest build a query to mark to Samuel is his health. He has missed games in each and each seasons with the 49ers and had ruin issues all the strategy in which thru his time in college at South Carolina as correctly. If Samuel is ready to quit wholesome in 2021, the sky is the restrict for his manufacturing and the 49ers offense.
Richie James Jr.
Every time that Kyle Shanahan has given an opportunity for James to carry out, the three-one year ragged has stepped up. This makes one shock about the inability of opportunities for James.
Individual who you would possibly also imagine trigger of the inability of playing time for James is that at 5’9” he’s correct too dinky for what Shanahan is shopping for in the third wide receiver feature that became held down by Kendrick Bourne the previous two seasons. At 6’1”, Bourne provide a unheard of extra physical presence and confirmed the skill to not most effective arrive up with key receptions, nonetheless block correctly in the trip game as correctly.
Despite the inability of size, James has proven to be a threat when given the opportunity and wishes to be in line to compose the personnel in the closing one year of his rookie contract.
Mohamed Sanu
Sanu began the 2020 season in San Francisco, playing an entire of 40 snaps the first three games ahead of being launched as Deebo Samuel became space to return from ruin. Sanu would in the end be a part of the Detroit Lions for seven games. Sanu’s 11.1 yards per reception would match his productiveness from 2016 when he became twiddling with the Atlanta Falcons and offensive coordinator Kyle Shananan.
With Bourne’s departure in free company, the 49ers accumulate a want for a mountainous-bodied third receiver. Sanu fits that feature correctly and appears as despite the indisputable truth that he customarily is a viable possibility.
“It’s seemingly you’ll maybe also present that he doesn’t build a query to something to be given to him, and he’s attempting to compose his dwelling on this personnel,” offensive coordinator McDaniel told the media all the strategy in which thru OTAs. “So, it became very bright to survey him carry out. He became doing thoroughly. And if he comes abet to coaching camp in that identical shape, he’s going to be a guy that’s going to be tricky to beat out for that closing roster.”
Jauan Jennings
Coming in at 6’3” and 212 kilos, the 2020 seventh-spherical draft accumulate is but any other size fit for the 49ers. And not using a organized personnel actions ahead of coaching camp last one year, Jennings struggled. This ended in Jennings being left off the roster, nonetheless the 49ers were ready to signal Jennings to the be conscious squad. He became making strides in direction of being promoted to the active roster ahead of being sidelined for the season with an ruin in dreary October.
Early studies from OTAs this season were extraordinarily sure for Jennings. Glimpse for Jennings to continue to make stronger all over the summer and compose the closing roster due this, as well to his skill to play particular groups.
Travis Benjamin
Benjamin opted out of playing in 2020 after agreeing to a free agent address the 49ers all the strategy in which thru the offseason. He performed below Shanahan as a member of the Cleveland Browns in 2014, averaging 17.4 yards per reception.
Benjamin’s explosiveness and skill to return kicks compose him a heavenly possibility for the underside of the depth chart. On the blueprint back, Benjamin has performed in most effective 5 games for the reason that 2018 season.
River Cracraft
The Washington Direct product joined the 49ers in dreary August and spent many of the first half of 2020 on the be conscious squad. He became promoted to the active roster for the Thursday night game in opposition to the Green Bay Packers after many of the wide receiver corps became lost due to the Covid sorting out. He would dwell on the active roster all over the leisure of the season.
Cracraft looked as if it can maybe accumulate caught the distinction of Shanahan, as he persevered to be on the discipline week after week no topic an absence of manufacturing. As an uncommon rights free agent, the 49ers were ready to bring him abet. Glimpse for Cracraft to give precise competition for one of the necessary closing spots on the roster due to the his skill on particular groups.
Jalen Hurd
Since being desirous about accumulate No. 67 in the 2019 draft, Hurd has been an enigma. Hurd has seen most effective one quarter of one preseason game since joining the 49ers. At 6’4”, 230 kilos, Hurd possesses the mountainous body that Shanahan covets from the third receiver speak.
If wholesome, Hurd would possibly maybe provide a immense deal of flexibility to the 49ers offense. Hurd spent his first three collegiate seasons playing working abet at Tennessee ahead of transferring to Baylor and bright to wide receiver. Even with the speak alternate, Hurd carried the ball 48 instances in 12 games at Baylor.
Hurd suffered a abet ruin in that Dallas preseason game that can tackle him out for the total 2019 season and forestall him from flying with the personnel to Miami for the Huge Bowl. Hurd would prepare that up by struggling a torn ACL in coaching camp to entire his 2020 season.
49ers total manager John Lynch supplied an update on Hurd when he spoke with the media quickly after wrapping up the draft.
“Jalen’s rehab is going correctly,” Lynch acknowledged. “We’re fervent to assemble him abet right here because he’s been rehabbing away. But we register on a unheard of basis, and he’s doing job along with his rehab, so we’re hooked in to that.
“I accumulate Jalen’s steadily been a not easy worker, and has correct had some tricky luck with that stuff. He’ll continue to work not easy, and we predict he’ll be ready to stagger.”
Hurd became not on the discipline all the strategy in which thru the portions of the offseason OTA length that became birth to the media, so his dwelling for 2021 is unexcited up in the air. At this level it’d be loyal to snort that getting something out of Hurd needs to be belief a pair of plus.
Trent Sherfield
Sherfield spent the previous two seasons as a particular groups ace for the Arizona Cardinals, playing 43 p.c of particular groups snaps in 2019 and 50 p.c in 2020.
As well to to his feature on particular groups, the undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt has seen restricted action at wide receiver. After hauling in 19 catches for 210 yards as a rookie in 2018, Sherfield noticed his snaps and productiveness dwindle to most effective nine receptions for 130 yards in 2019 and 2020 mixed.
2021 Outlook
Aiyuk and Samuel are basically among the finest two sure things to compose the closing roster. Undoubtedly, we can add James as correctly, nonetheless his feature is up in the air. With the 49ers at probability of tackle six wide receivers that can go most effective three birth spots.
Mohamed Sanu and Jauan Jennings will seemingly be combating for the mountainous-bodied third wide receiver feature that Bourne held down the previous few seasons. Each accumulate performed correctly all over the OTA length and survey ready to compose an impact in 2021. Hurd would possibly maybe be a part of this combat as correctly if he can quit wholesome thru coaching camp.
The last dwelling on the roster will seemingly be made up our minds between Sherfield, Cracraft and Benjamin. All three accumulate the skill to make a contribution on particular groups.