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San Francisco 49ers: Way-Too Early Predictions for 2017 Starting Lineup

By Peter Panacy

November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) congratulates defensive end Arik Armstead (91) for sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) congratulates defensive end Arik Armstead (91) for sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 29, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) during a player injury against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) during a player injury against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Wide Receiver

WRs: Torrey Smith, DeAndre Smelter, Aaron Burbridge (slot)

Wide receiver Torrey Smith will be the Niners’ No. 1 option in 2017. There isn’t much of an argument against that right now.

But who occupies the No. 2 position is a little less certain.

One of the thoughts may be fellow wideout Bruce Ellington securing that role. I’d love to see Ellington featured as an X-factor of sorts in head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, but until there’s repeated contributions on a regular level, it’s hard to buy into anything just yet.

This might mean even less certainty with second-year pro DeAndre Smelter, who was redshirted his rookie season in 2015. Smelter may have a better all-around skill set than Ellington, which makes him a better fit in Kelly’s offense — size being a factor as well.

So Smelter gets the nod here.

Mentioned is rookie wideout Aaron Burbridge, who appears to be the heir apparent to former 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Burbridge is similar to Boldin in both makeup and physical attributes. And the Niners will likely utilize him in a slot role, as noted in the 49ers YouTube video below:

This role could change in 2017. But with teams frequently utilizing three-wide receiver sets in today’s NFL, the position essentially becomes a starting one.

Ellington may still be a specialty wideout, depending on how he and the others perform under Kelly this year.

Next: Running Back