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San Francisco 49ers: Strengths, weaknesses and X-factors for each position

By Peter Panacy

KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 23: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a quick pass to teammate Matt Breida #22 during the second quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 23: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a quick pass to teammate Matt Breida #22 during the second quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers watches as the ball bounces after an incomplete pass in the second half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers watches as the ball bounces after an incomplete pass in the second half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

Wide Receiver

A year ago, no 49ers wide receiver reached 500 receiving yards.

That’s bad.

And while the rookie, Dante Pettis, showed some promise down the stretch and averaged 71.8 receiving yards per game over his final five contests, the rest of this crop left a lot to be desired. Fellow wideouts Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor, who both had excellent 2017 campaigns, also regressed. So it’s no surprise the Niners spent a good chunk of the offseason revamping this unit by bringing aboard the veteran, Jordan Matthews, on a one-year deal and drafting South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel in Round 2.

Strengths

Should Pettis stay healthy, he easily might be the first Niners wideout to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Anquan Boldin back in 2014.

Matthews, despite two down years in 2017 and 2018, has also made great impressions during OTAs and minicamp, suggesting he’ll be an excellent red-zone option — something San Francisco desperately needs after finishing dead last in red-zone touchdown efficiency a year ago.

Samuel, meanwhile, looks to be the perfect physical presence to pair with Pettis, as the former will likely occupy the X-receiver spot.

Related Story. How Kyle Shanahan will deploy X and Z receivers in 2019. light

Weaknesses

There are a lot of variables amid San Francisco’s wide receiver corps this season, and generally the more questions present, the more that can go wrong, if that makes sense.

Taylor is coming off a back injury. And while he appears fully healthy for 2019, he’ll need to provide some thump from the slot. Pettis, too, dealt with injuries early in his career, while Samuel has been nursing a hip injury this offseason.

Overall, though, the Niners still lack that true No. 1 go-to receiver on offense.

X-Factors

The 49ers targeted Samuel for all the reasons you think he’d be a seamless fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. If Samuel can stay healthy and capitalize on both his physicality and footwork, he’ll be a bona fide weapon.

Similarly, Taylor will need to lock down the same third-down role he enjoyed back in 2017, when he managed 19 third-down receptions for a first down. The Niners finished 17th in the league in third-down conversions last year, so Taylor’s abilities to be a weapon here are much needed.

Can San Francisco improve in the red zone?