5 players the 49ers must add in free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft

No. 5: Wide receiver KeeSean Johnson

We’ll have to wait until the draft to see what order the 49ers decide to start taking players. So, given the unknown, I’ve gone with the Niners drafting a wide receiver in Round 3. While receiver is a top position of need for 2019, there’s a couple of others that are slightly more important in the draft, which I will address later.

Having to wait until the third round to pick up a receiver, the 49ers will unfortunately miss out on top receiving prospects, such as A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and N’Keal Harry, to name a few.

However, a nice third-round pick is wide receiver KeeSean Johnson out of Fresno State. Measuring at 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, Johnson had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his junior and senior years. 2018 saw Johnson with 95 receptions for 1,340 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per reception and eight touchdowns.

Johnson has experience lining up at every receiving position and is somewhat of a technical route runner. He is a reliable receiver, who brings with him a great set of hands, something which could only benefit the 49ers given their recent history of dropped balls.

With his ability to make contested catches and reel the ball in, Kyle Shanahan would be able to utilize him as a red-zone threat. The 49ers have continued to struggle in the red zone, and adding a capable receiver to the mix would help to alleviate that problem.

While he is slightly slower than some receivers, Johnson still provides many key attributes the Niners will be looking for come the draft.