49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Wide receiver Richie James

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Richie James made an impact, especially on special teams, his rookie year. But how good are his chances to stick around in 2019? Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series takes a deeper look at the second-year pro.

Rare are the seventh-round NFL Draft picks who make substantial contributions during their rookie years. So the San Francisco 49ers have to feel pretty good about what their 2018 seventh rounder, former Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Richie James, did over the course of last season.

While James wasn’t exactly a major contributor on the offensive side of the ball, hauling in a mere nine receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, he was more than present in return duties over the course of the season.

His 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was vital in the Niners’ Week 15 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks, ending an elongated losing streak to their hated division rivals.

In total, James managed 25.2 yards per kickoff return on 23 takeouts his rookie season. His explosive speed was something to watch. At the same time, though, he was also responsible for two fumbles over the course of the year.

Things were made complicated during the offseason, too, as the 49ers reinforced their receiving corps after an underwhelming performance by this group in 2018.

That won’t help James’ chances of making the 53-man roster, meaning he’ll have to show some serious improvement during training camp.

Why Richie James Improves in 2019

You can’t take away the intangibles, and one of James’ best attributes is his speed. That kickoff return for a touchdown is one such example, and don’t overlook the fact James ran a 4.43 40-yard time at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine.

James might be one of the more explosive receivers out of the slot, and he’ll have to use the element to create separation and become more of a receiving threat — something he wasn’t quite able to do with regularity over his limited offensive chances last season.

Oh, and cutting down on those fumbles would help matters, too.

Why Richie James Regresses

James will have stiff competition at slot receiver this season, namely between fellow candidates Trent Taylor and Jordan Matthews.

Taylor, who was banged up for most of last year with a back injury, is far slower than James. But the former already has a rapport with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and was quite the third-down weapon back in 2017. Those traits tend to be more valuable than sheer speed.

Return abilities are nice, sure. But James will be hard pressed to increase his stock if he finds himself buried behind both Taylor and Matthews on the depth chart.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019

James had a chance to assert himself last season, especially with Taylor injured for much of the year. That said, James still managed a mere 14 targets and was nary a factor amid a Niners receiving corps, which failed to produce a 500-yard wideout in 2018.

It’s one of the reasons why San Francisco spent considerable effort upgrading this unit, which ultimately hurts James’ chances to stick around with the team into the regular season.

The prospects for James making the 53-man roster are improved by his special teams abilities, yet they’ll ultimately come down to how well he performs against both Taylor and Matthews in training camp. Matthews made some splash catches during OTAs, and the 49ers could stand to use a big-bodied receiver out of the slot. Taylor, meanwhile, appears to be fully recovered from his back injury.

Neither bode well for James’ future, which means he’s squarely on the roster bubble.

And arguably on the weaker side of it.