Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 3 players to welcome under the Christmas tree

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 08: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 8, 2013 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 19-17. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 08: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 8, 2013 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 19-17. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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ATHENS, GA – OCTOBER 6: Riley Ridley #8 of the Georgia Bulldogs makes a catch for a second quarter touchdown against JoeJuan Williams #8 of the Vanderbilt Commodores on October 6, 2018 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA – OCTOBER 6: Riley Ridley #8 of the Georgia Bulldogs makes a catch for a second quarter touchdown against JoeJuan Williams #8 of the Vanderbilt Commodores on October 6, 2018 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Not all the 49ers’ needs are on defense. And as our friend Al Sacco of 49ers Webzone pointed out, a top-tier receiving target is still of need for Kyle Shanahan’s offense:

If the Niners get a Christmas wish by landing Nick Bosa sliding down in Round 1, Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley sliding into the early phase of Round 2 would be an absolute gift.

Ridley, the younger brother of the Atlanta Falcons’ Calvin Ridley, didn’t exactly post gaudy numbers at Georgia, totaling just 954 receiving yards over three seasons. But as the Draft Network’s Brad Kelly pointed out, the younger Ridley has seen his stats kept low because of a stout running game with tailbacks D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield, limiting the pass catcher’s targets.

When Ridley’s gotten them, though, he’s made the most of them, not unlike the New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas did when he was in college.

Ridley’s 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame immediately makes him among the biggest in an otherwise short 49ers receiving corps. And with red-zone woes a crucial concern for Shanahan and Co., landing Ridley would be a massive boost.