San Francisco 49ers: Ranking 10 Best Players on Offense in 2016

No. 3 – Torrey Smith

With Anquan Boldin seemingly out of the picture, there is no question who the 49ers’ best wide receiver is.

Torrey Smith earns that honor pretty much by default but is more talented than he is given credit for and will be looking to enjoy a bounce-back year having been neglected in the offensive gameplan in 2015.

Smith is well known as a genuine deep threat who can beat cornerbacks downfield and make big plays and draw pass interference penalties.

What is underrated about Smith, though, is his play in the short-to-medium passing game.

Able to beat defenders with his quickness of the line of scrimmage, Smith has no problem gaining position over the middle and can box out cornerbacks because of his size.

Fast enough to make significant yards after the catch, Smith shows great concentration and has the body control to make difficult catches, a particularly useful trait with neither Kaepernick nor Gabbert being especially accurate.

Smith does not display consistent conviction as a route-runner and could do a better job on hitch and comeback patterns. Still, he has the ability to manipulate defenders with stutter-steps and double moves and, if utilized properly, can significantly improve his production in 2016.

Next: No. 2