49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Wide receiver Max McCaffrey
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers have kept wide receiver Max McCaffrey around in limited capacity for over a year now, yet he still faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster in 2019.
Not one of the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2018 wide receivers reached 500 receiving yards.
It’s hard to say whether or not that’s good or bad for 25-year-old wide receiver Max McCaffrey, who first joined the Niners in December of 2017, then again onto the team’s practice squad in November the following year.
McCaffrey, an undrafted free agent out of Duke, ended up having a “cup of coffee” on the regular-season roster to close out 2018, and his pro-level stats don’t exactly suggest a massive contributor:
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/17/2019.
The older brother of Carolina Panthers star running back, Christian McCaffrey, will have his work cut out for him to make the Niners roster in the regular season. Especially after the team made numerous changes at his position.
What will the elder McCaffrey have to do to secure such a role?
Why Max McCaffrey Improves in 2019
McCaffrey does have size on his side. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he’s already one of San Francisco’s bigger wide receivers. And he ran a 4.46 40-yard time during his pro day back in 2016, so there’s good speed on his side, too.
He was also modestly productive in college, particularly his senior season. But that only says so much.
If McCaffrey winds up making a number of highlight-reel plays in training camp, that would be a noted improvement.
Why Max McCaffrey Regresses
There’s something to be said for McCaffrey sticking around with the 49ers, yet it’s also an indication just how much he’s bounced around the league since joining the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent back in 2016. The Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints all employed McCaffrey at various points before San Francisco.
And he hasn’t found a long-term home with any of those franchises.
This pretty much sums up the notion McCaffrey is a camp body. Perhaps a few years on some practice squads have allowed him to hone his craft, but that would require a pretty big leap.
Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019
If there was a category between “none” and “the longest of long shots,” that’s where McCaffrey would be.
The Niners brought in numerous additions at the position during the offseason, and wide receiver is awfully crowded heading into training camp. McCaffrey doesn’t offer much on special teams, which only hurts his value, and San Francisco has more invested in other bigger-bodied receivers aside from McCaffrey.
Sure, there is always the possibility McCaffrey winds up putting together one of those eye-popping training camps, which would garner momentum into the preseason.
5 college players 49ers should watch for 2020 NFL Draft. dark. Next
But even that likely won’t be enough.