Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Identifying 10 cornerstone players for 2018

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 29: Trent Taylor #81 of the San Francisco 49ers is taken down by Mack Hollins #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half on October 29, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 29: Trent Taylor #81 of the San Francisco 49ers is taken down by Mack Hollins #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half on October 29, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Wide Receiver Trent Taylor

Another rookie to look at is wide receiver Trent Taylor.

Taylor’s 2017 stats haven’t exactly suggested a late-round draft steal by San Francisco. On the year he has just 24 catches for 204 yards and a touchdown. Combine that with a broken rib suffered in Week 9, and Taylor’s season could come to a premature close.

But shoddy quarterback play over almost the entirety of this season has negated any impact the small-but-shifty slot receiver could have.

This example from the Niners’ Week 9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals pretty much sums up why Taylor hasn’t impacted the stat sheet:

Remember, Taylor led all of college football in receiving yards (1,803) in 2016. And with NFL teams largely going with three-wide sets, getting Taylor into the game plan next season should be a top priority for head coach Kyle Shanahan.