San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 most important players in 2018

No. 4: Wide Receiver Pierre Garcon

Pierre Garcon looked like one of the best wide receivers in the league before suffering a season-ending neck injury halfway through 2017. He ran good routes, could catch every ball that was thrown his way and blocked well on run plays, but most of all, he was the toughest receiver the 49ers have had in a long time.

And that’s saying a lot. I mean, former Niners receiver Anquan Boldin was just on the team a couple years ago!

When I think of Garcon’s skills as a receiver, I like to look back at his performance in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. Watch how aware Garcon is at all times — the concentration on the football he has while making a catch, knowing where the sideline marker is to keep his feet in bounds, knowing where the first-down marker is, etc.

Just do yourself a favor and watch the video below to watch elite receiver skills:

And the best part? Garcon hasn’t even played with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback yet. If you thought the 49ers offense was good when Garoppolo was playing at the end of the season, just wait until Garcon is in the system. Before you know it, the 49ers’s offensive unit will be heralded by the league in two words: offensive juggernaut.

So, yeah, I guess you could say I’m excited about the return of Garcon. Fantasy football players, take note.