49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Wide receiver Aaron Burbridge
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players in 2018 shifts back to the offense, taking a look at forgotten-about wide receiver Aaron Burbridge and the chances he makes the team this season.
Few and far between are the on-roster players selected by former San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke.
Wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, taken in Round 6 of the 2016 NFL Draft, is one of them.
Burbridge managed to survive the opening roster slashes made by the Niners’ new regime under GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, but ended up being stashed for the 2017 season on injured reserve right out of the preseason.
Before that, Burbridge’s NFL impact was pretty limited — just seven receptions for 88 yards his rookie season.
Yet Burbridge’s collegiate numbers at Michigan State were good enough to likely convince Lynch and Shanahan to give the 6-foot-1, 208-pound receiver a deeper look:
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2012 | Michigan State | Big Ten | FR | WR | 10 | 29 | 364 | 12.6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 30 | 368 | 12.3 | 2 |
| *2013 | Michigan State | Big Ten | SO | WR | 9 | 22 | 194 | 8.8 | 0 | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 26 | 256 | 9.8 | 0 |
| *2014 | Michigan State | Big Ten | JR | WR | 13 | 29 | 358 | 12.3 | 1 | 8 | 39 | 4.9 | 0 | 37 | 397 | 10.7 | 1 |
| *2015 | Michigan State | Big Ten | SR | WR | 14 | 85 | 1258 | 14.8 | 7 | 9 | 44 | 4.9 | 0 | 94 | 1302 | 13.9 | 7 |
| Career | Michigan State | 165 | 2174 | 13.2 | 10 | 22 | 149 | 6.8 | 0 | 187 | 2323 | 12.4 | 10 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 5/18/2018.
Note Burbridge’s senior year, where he was the prime target for the Spartans offense.
Whether or not this all translates over into Burbridge’s chances to factor into San Francisco’s offense is anyone’s guess. But it’s pretty clear he’ll face steep competition to even crack the final 53-man roster this upcoming September.
What are his chances? What will Burbridge have to do to stand out enough?
Let’s take a look.
Why Aaron Burbridge Improves in 2018
Burbridge’s pro-level sample size remains small, and that works against him. That said, any moderate distinguishing abilities only work to his benefit.
One thing working in his favor is his obvious size. While Burbridge isn’t exactly a tall receiver, per se, his 6-foot-1 frame is larger than the majority of Niners wideouts on the roster. One might recall Shanahan employed the shortest crop of wideouts in the NFL a year ago.
Equally intriguing, the 49ers ranked 27th in red-zone touchdown efficiency last season. The lack of a pure red-zone threat is something Burbridge can try to take advantage of.
Burbridge’s 4.56 40-yard dash time at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine wasn’t exactly eye-popping. But as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein pointed out, the receiver’s route-running abilities are solid enough.
So if Burbridge can’t win with elite speed, perhaps he does so with separation.
Why He Regresses
Despite the positive attributes, Burbridge still carries the burden of being a Baalke selection. And the Niners have already made sweeping changes to the wide receiver crop.
In addition to the new faces last year (Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, Aldrick Robinson, etc.), Burbridge will now have to compete with 2018 rookies, Dante Pettis and Richie James, who have the blessing of being selected by the current regime.
San Francisco 49ers
Pettis, in particular, was one of the best route runners in college football.
All this serves to push Burbridge down on the depth chart, meaning he’ll see less of the first- and second-team snaps during OTAs and training camp. That equates to less recognition from coaches and a lessened chance of cracking the 53-man roster.
Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2018
Right now, signs would point to Burbridge being on the weak bubble.
Burbridge isn’t eligible for the practice squad, having been active for all 16 games in 2016, therefore accruing a full season at the NFL level.
This is likely a reason why the 49ers designated him to injured reserve last season, stashing him for further development with the hopes he either competes well in training camp or some other team-positive situation.
Yet the influx of receiver talent this offseason, combined with the promising 2017 campaigns from Goodwin and Taylor, work against Burbridge’s chances. He might have a shot to crack the back end of the roster, yet it’s pretty bleak at the moment.
Still, Burbridge should look to take advantage of red-zone opportunities in camp this offseason. If he can distinguish himself there, there’s a slightly better likelihood of sticking around with San Francisco into 2018.
Next: 3 49ers players who'll shine in 2018 OTAs
Don’t count on it happening, though.