Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Early look at 2019 position battles

By Peter Panacy

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Nick Mullens #4 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Nick Mullens #4 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Trent Taylor #81 of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Trent Taylor #81 of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Slot Wide Receiver

A year ago, fans were singing the praises of then-rookie wide receiver Trent Taylor, hailing his abilities as a third-down weapon and emerging as yet another one of those late-round NFL Draft finds general manager John Lynch made during his inaugural draft class.

This season, Taylor has all but disappeared from the 49ers’ offensive plans.

To date, Taylor has just 19 catches for 150 yards — a far cry from the 43-catch, 430-yard campaign he flashed his first year.

True, a back injury has hindered Taylor’s development and production. That said, the Niners are going to explore whether or not he can beat out San Francisco’s 2019 rookie slot receiver, Richie James.

James was a star in training camp. And while those efforts haven’t exactly translated over into regular-season numbers, there’s little doubting how much more explosive James is over Taylor.

James ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, compared to Taylor’s 4.63 mark.

San Francisco will want to see Taylor fully healthy before allowing this position battle to resume fully. That said, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Niners leaning a bit more in James’ direction heading into 2019.