San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 5 roster needs for 2019
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Wide Receiver
Yes, the 49ers could still be in on the trade market for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, which would vastly improve an underachieving receiving corps — one which didn’t boast a single wideout with more than 500 receiving yards in 2018.
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Then-rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis flashed some signs late in the season after spending much of the year dealing with a knee injury, averaging 71.8 yards his final five games played. Aside from him, though, there wasn’t exactly a ton of worthwhile production. Fellow wideout Marquise Goodwin came nowhere close to his 2017 numbers, dealing with injuries and off-field tragedies, and slot receiver Trent Taylor dealt with a back issue for much of the season.
And it also looks like the 49ers won’t pick up veteran wide receiver Pierre Garçon‘s 2019 option, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
To make it all worse, Kyle Shanahan’s offense finished dead last in red-zone touchdown efficiency in 2018, converting these drives into touchdowns just 41.2 percent of the time.
Whether San Francisco addresses this via a trade, NFL free agency or the NFL Draft, it’s pretty clear some reinforcements are needed at this position.