Niner Noise
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49ers 2019 mock NFL Draft: What if San Francisco trades down in Round 1?

By Peter Panacy

Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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ATHENS, GA – NOVEMBER 10: Riley Ridley #8 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs with a catch against the Auburn Tigers on November 10, 2018 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA – NOVEMBER 10: Riley Ridley #8 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs with a catch against the Auburn Tigers on November 10, 2018 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

After no 49ers wide receiver crested 500 receiving yards in 2018, it’s pretty clear head coach Kyle Shanahan will want someone of note to help bolster the team’s aerial attack. True, he’ll expect a lot out of second-year pro Dante Pettis. But another target is needed.

Thankfully, the first of those Broncos picks can come into play here.

Georgia wideout Riley Ridley doesn’t have the most impressive collegiate stats, as seen below:

Riley Ridley Receiving Table
Rece Rece Rece Rece
Year School Conf Class Pos G Rec Yds Avg TD
*2016 Georgia SEC FR WR 6 12 238 19.8 2
*2017 Georgia SEC SO WR 8 14 218 15.6 2
*2018 Georgia SEC JR WR 14 43 559 13.0 9
Career Georgia 69 1015 14.7 13

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/1/2019.

But it’s important to note Georgia’s offense was built around the running game, not upon a prolific pass attack.

This cut into the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Ridley’s numbers, yet it shouldn’t have an impact on the kind of production he should enjoy at the NFL level. Case in point, The Draft Network’s Brad Kelly drew the comparison between Ridley and New Orleans Saints superstar receiver Michael Thomas, who also didn’t boast the best college numbers.

Also of note is Ridley’s size. At that height, Ridley would become one of the 49ers’ biggest wide receivers — a presence that would immensely help what was a last-place Niners red-zone touchdown offense a year ago.