Why the red zone is of utmost importance to the 49ers in 2017
By Peter Panacy
Height a Problem for San Francisco?
As much moving as the 49ers did this offseason, one of the things the team did not pick up was a tall-bodied wide receiver.
San Francisco has just five receivers on its 90-man roster 6-foot-0 or taller. Here’s the height breakdown for this position:
- Victor Bolden Jr. — 5-foot-8
- Kendrick Bourne — 6-foot-1
- Aaron Burbridge — 6-foot-1
- DeAndre Carter — 5-foot-8
- Bruce Ellington — 5-foot-9
- Pierre Garcon — 6-foot-0
- Marquise Goodwin — 5-foot-9
- B.J. Johnson III — 6-foot-1
- Jeremy Kerley — 5-foot-9
- Aldrick Robinson — 5-foot-10
- DeAndre Smelter — 6-foot-2
- Trent Taylor — 5-foot-8
Bourne, Burbridge, Johnson and Smelter are all likely on the roster bubble heading towards the preseason. And if they don’t make the cut, that leaves just one receiver, Garcon, at least six feet tall.
As noted earlier, Kyle Shanahan’s offense doesn’t necessarily require height from its receivers to operate effectively enough.
But it’s a nice thing to have, and the Niners really don’t have it at wide receiver.