San Francisco 49ers: 10 players who should see more playing time over the rest of 2017
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Wide Receiver Victor Bolden Jr.
The loss of wide receiver Pierre Garçon this week seriously hurts what has turned into an anemic 49ers pass offense.
But it also opens up some opportunities for young receivers, one of which is undrafted rookie Victor Bolden Jr.
Bolden has seen his share of action this season on special teams, returning 12 kickoffs on an average of 20.2 yards per attempt. While he hasn’t flashed the explosiveness we saw during the preseason, the breakaway potential is still here.
True, Bolden isn’t the biggest receiving target. At 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds, Bolden is pretty much a backup for slot receiver Trent Taylor. But if we can buy into the notion head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense schemes to get guys open, Bolden won’t have to worry quite as much about his height.
Instead, it’s time to see whether or not the receiver’s speed can be a useful commodity in Shanahan’s offense.