Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 10 Biggest X-Factors for 2016 Season

By Peter Panacy

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Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) reacts after making a catch against the St. Louis Rams in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) reacts after making a catch against the St. Louis Rams in the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 9: Wide Receiver Bruce Ellington

Sticking with the wide receiver theme, third-year pro wideout Bruce Ellington is another player who could emerge as an X-factor in 2016.

The small-statured target may not have been properly utilized in the years leading up to this season, but head coach Chip Kelly might be the one person who adequately puts Ellington’s skill set to proper use.

At best, Ellington could wind up being a similar type of player in the mold of Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who does more than enough to make up for his lack of size on the field.

Why He’ll Improve

Niner Noise’s Rich Madrid broke down all of Ellington’s positive traits in this must-read piece. He wrote:

"With Chip Kelly in town, there should be no doubt Ellington will be better suited to racking up yards in Kelly’s offense with his speed and athleticism. Ellington is the kind hybrid space player that Kelly is accustomed to using at Oregon and Philadelphia. While is not as good (yet) as Desean Jackson or Darren Sproles, it’s a safe bet that Kelly will use him the exact same way."

While with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kelly utilized multifaceted offensive weapon Darren Sproles to great effect in a number of various offensive packages. Ellington might be the same sort of player for Kelly’s offense in San Francisco, so it’s a good enough reason to assume the former South Carolina product will see a dramatic increase in his role this year.

Why He’ll Disappoint

On the flip side, Ellington’s size (5’9″) does work against him. Kelly has made it clear he prefers big-bodied offensive weapons, and Ellington is the shortest player within San Francisco’s receiving corps.

This already doesn’t bode well for him and, when tacking on the 49ers’ issues with players from South Carolina, it’s feasible Ellington doesn’t pan out with the Niners’ long-term plans either way.

Niner Noise’s Jerod Brown spoke on this and, citing a source, noted how frustrated San Francisco has become with former Gamecocks.

2016 could be a boom-or-bust season for Ellington, which is why he has to be considered a major X-factor.

Next: No. 8: OG Joshua Garnett