49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Wide receiver Max McCaffrey
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s 2018 “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players this season takes a look at a long shot to make the 53-man roster, wide receiver Max McCaffrey.
The San Francisco 49ers ended up with a McCaffrey on their roster in 2017. Not the widely known running back and return specialist, Christian McCaffrey, who was drafted in Round 1 of last year’s NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, his older brother, Max McCaffrey.
McCaffrey entered the league as an undrafted free-agent signing of the Oakland Raiders in 2016. He bounced around a bit before signing on with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017 and appearing in five games, registering one catch for four yards before being waived later that season.
After a brief stint on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad, the Niners grabbed him in December of last year.
A four-year contributor from Duke, McCaffrey’s collegiate stats showcased some likable abilities:
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2012 | Duke | ACC | FR | WR | 13 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 0 | ||||
| *2013 | Duke | ACC | SO | WR | 11 | 26 | 282 | 10.8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 282 | 10.8 | 4 | |
| *2014 | Duke | ACC | JR | WR | 12 | 37 | 385 | 10.4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 385 | 10.4 | 3 | |
| *2015 | Duke | ACC | SR | WR | 13 | 52 | 643 | 12.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 643 | 12.4 | 5 | |
| Career | Duke | 117 | 1341 | 11.5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 1341 | 11.5 | 12 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/14/2018.
At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, McCaffrey is already one of the bigger wideouts San Francisco has on its offseason roster.
Yet he’ll have an uphill battle to make the 53-man cut this September.
So what can McCaffrey do to increase his chances this offseason?
Why Max McCaffrey Improves in 2018
The height advantage is notable. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s wide receivers were the shortest in the NFL last season.
That’s a bonus. But height is less important to Shanahan’s offense than good speed and route-running abilities. Fortunately, McCaffrey ran a 4.46 40-yard time at his 2016 pro day, so it isn’t as if he’s lacking there.
An NFL.com Chad Reuter scouting report from 2016 read:
"At 6-2, 200 pounds, Max is effective working the middle of the field and makes it difficult for defensive backs to bring him down by running behind his pads. He hasn’t put up huge numbers for the Blue Devils (65 career catches for 698 yards and seven scores), but with his pedigree and intelligence, he should get a shot — especially if he tests well athletically after the season."
From what one can gather, it doesn’t appear as if McCaffrey has gotten his “chance” to make a serious impact.
Yet his ability to contribute on special teams as well should increase that possibility between now and Week 1.
Why He’ll Regress
McCaffrey might have the form, yet there are indications there’s nothing overly special about his abilities.
A 2017 breakdown from SB Nation’s Acme Packing Co. reviewed McCaffrey’s college tape, writing, “nothing immediately jumps off the screen that suggests he could be a game changer.”
San Francisco 49ers
Assuming this is true and has paralleled his journey through a number of NFL rosters, one can draw the conclusion McCaffrey is little more than a camp body with some serious intrigue. The lack of explosiveness can hinder late-round draftees and UDFAs, so the fact he’s bounced around a bit makes sense.
This will likely relegate McCaffrey to third-team units during training camp and the preseason. A few moments here or there could help, but the combination of furthered development and special teams play will be vital.
Can McCaffrey proverbially “check off all the boxes” here?
Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2018
As of now, they’re pretty slim even if McCaffrey has himself a nice preseason.
The special teams aspect helps out a lot. And so does his height. Yet the 49ers are going to have a pretty stiff competition at the position. Currently, the Niners boast 11 wideouts on their 90-man offseason roster. Shanahan will likely keep, at most, six receivers with the latter two spots having to contribute on special teams.
Veterans Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin aren’t going anywhere. Neither are youngsters Trent Taylor and Dante Pettis. Depth receivers Kendrick Bourne and Richie James appear to be the favorites to land the final two spots on the depth chart.
McCaffrey will have to beat out the remaining five and take a shot at out-competing one of the likely six to land on the regular-season roster.
Next: 49ers 2018 offseason positional preview: Wide receiver
That’s a tall order, meaning McCaffrey is easily slated as a long shot to make it beyond the preseason in San Francisco.