Breaking Down San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Position in Advance of 2016 Season

The wide receiver position is one of both intrigue and concern for the San Francisco 49ers heading into training camp and the 2016 NFL season. With a young cast of players, which ones step into the fray and earn roster spots this year? Niner Noise takes a look in this positional breakdown.

The San Francisco 49ers have only two wide receivers on their current 90-man offseason roster who have at least 40-plus pro-level catches: Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson.

Taking a positive approach with the inexperience, San Francisco’s youth movement is, at least, allowing a young crop of receivers to showcase their respective talents and have a shot at cracking the 53-man roster in Week 1 of the regular season.

But the inexperience itself is pretty daunting to look at.

While it would be nice to say the Niners have the next Odell Beckham Jr. buried deep on their roster, the reality is fans don’t quite know how this group will shape up and whether or not any of the on-roster players will fit the bill.

Yes, the 49ers do have some promising players at this position — guys with potential who, in time, may actually turn into something special.

Yet the hopes and positive expectations are also paralleled by just as many, if not more, concerns.

First, let’s take a look at the current players at this position entering camp:

• Dres Anderson
• Aaron Burbridge
• Devon Cajuste
• DiAndre Campbell
• Bruce Ellington
• Quinton Patton
• Eric Rogers
• Jerome Simpson
• DeAndre Smelter
• Torrey Smith
• Bryce Treggs
• DeAndrew White

Not exactly a lot of top-tier names.

Veteran wideout Torrey Smith is all but guaranteed to assume No. 1 duties here. He’s coming off a career-low 2015 campaign in which he hauled in 33 receptions for 663 yards and four touchdowns.

Smith wasn’t exactly utilized properly under former offensive coordinator Geep Chryst a year ago, so we should expect head coach Chip Kelly to get a little more from the 27-year-old speedster.

But Smith will need some help though. As an over-the-top-type of receiver, Smith’s best impact may be to draw coverage deeper down the field, thus opening up routes and opportunities underneath.

Who will be the beneficiary of these?

Two roster holes come to mind — the No. 2 outside position and the slot.

Third-year wideout Bruce Ellington may be an enticing player to watch here. At 5-foot-9 and 197 pounds, Ellington isn’t exactly a prototypical big-bodied receiver. And he also may not have been utilized properly in the Niners’ former regime.

But, as Niner Noise’s Rich Madrid wrote back in June, Kelly is the type of head coach who could put Ellington’s skill set to good use. Madrid’s breakdown is worth the read.

And as Matt Harmon of NFL.com also pointed out, 2016 could be a great year for the speedy receiving target — either out of the slot or even on the outside as he draws downfield coverage.

Ellington should get an increased role this season. But we’re still left with questions about fourth-year pro Quinton Patton.

Injuries and inconsistent play haven’t exactly made Patton a bona fide contributor, and his flashes of brilliance have frequently been marked by poor decision-making. To date, Patton has just 36 receptions for 472 yards and a touchdown — not exactly eye-popping numbers.

Patton has seemingly been on the fringes of the depth chart since he broke into the NFL back in 2013. And this year could spell more of the same.

A lot of this has to do with some other up-and-coming players vying for roster spots.

The offseason acquisition of former CFL wide receiver Eric Rogers creates some pressure here. And the drafting of former Michigan State tough-and-physical wideout Aaron Burbridge also fuels the competition.

And one can’t forget second-year pro DeAndre Smelter, who was redshirted his rookie season while recovering from a collegiate ACL injury.

“We have a lot of depth at receiver,” Smelter said, via 49ers.com. “I feel like no matter who they put in that role, I feel like everybody will be able to come in there and produce.”

Smelter may be feeling confident, but the overall lack of experience is still a major issue.

Chris Biderman of NinersWire.com wrote:

"It’s an extremely inexperienced group. Of the 12 receivers on San Francisco’s 90-man roster, only four have more than two NFL receptions.The easiest answer might be to look at the most tenured players, who aren’t all that tenured. Former fourth-round picks Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington are still on their rookie contracts after getting drafted in 2013 and 2014, respectively.Neither has distinguished themselves as more than bit players, combining for 55 receptions for 687 yards and three touchdowns during their five seasons.Could they be usurped by bigger options like DeAndre Smelter and Eric Rogers, who have never taken an NFL snap?"

True, Kelly might be able to maximize players’ impact because of his own offensive capability in designing plays. So, perhaps, this might mask some of the major deficiencies here. And yet we’re still left with the proverbial question — who makes the cut?

An initial assessment may look something like this:

1. Torrey Smith
2. Bruce Ellington
3. Aaron Burbridge
4. Eric Rogers
5. Quinton Patton
6. DeAndrew White

Rookie wideout Devon Cajuste wasn’t included here, but he might make the team at tight end. And special teams contributors will go a long way in determining who stays and goes.

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But here’s the catch — it’s a totally fluid situation. One can easily replace four of the six aforementioned names with anyone else on the 90-man roster, and it would make about as much sense as any preconceived depth chart.

It’s hard to say whether or not that’s a good or a bad thing.

At any rate, look for the wide receiver position battle to be an enticing one in training camp this year. And, in all likelihood, the opening depth chart to start 2016 may not even be close to the same by the time Week 17 rolls around in the not-so-distant future.

Next: Breaking Down 49ers Tight End Position in 2016

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.