49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Wide receiver Trent Taylor

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor had a down year in 2018, largely hindered by a back injury. Fully healthy in 2019, he could end up bouncing back nicely.

At the end of the 2017 season, it sure looked like the San Francisco 49ers found a steal in wide receiver Trent Taylor, whom the team selected in Round 5 of that year’s NFL Draft.

Forget Taylor’s short 5-foot-8, 180-pound frame. He was college football’s leading receiver in 2016, after all, and it appeared as if the Louisiana Tech product was going to continue that kind of production at the NFL level.

But Taylor ended up seeing a serious regression the following year, seeing his numbers drop across the board in significant fashion:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/9/2019.

This possibly put Taylor on the fringes of San Francisco’s roster heading into 2019. But it’s important to note Taylor was dealing with a back injury for much of last season.

Fully healthy, Taylor will look to reclaim the kind of effort he put in during his rookie season.

Here’s how and why that might happen.

Why Trent Taylor Improves in 2019

Taylor has already shown massive improvement during organized team activities, far outperforming his likely slot receiver competition, second-year wide receiver Richie James.

It’s important to remember Taylor’s prowess as a third-down weapon in 2017. That year, he recorded 19 third-down receptions for a first down — tied for ninth overall in the league among pass catchers that year, as well as being tied for most among rookies with the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp.

Many of those catches came at the hand of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whom Taylor enjoyed for only three games last season before Garoppolo’s season-ending ACL injury.

With Garoppolo back, Taylor’s stock increases in value. It increases, too, thanks to the 49ers bringing aboard former standout slot receiver, Wes Welker, as a wide receivers coach.

Taylor stands to learn a lot from Welker between now and Week 1.

Why Trent Taylor Regresses

Taylor’s resurgence during this brief offseason has left a lot of hope. But there’s always the possibility his back injury winds up a problem still, despite his recovery.

Without diving too deep into the injury concerns, Taylor also has to deal with the fact James is far more explosive and fast than the third-year pro. And while head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense is predicated largely on separation and footwork, speed is a key element, too.

Taylor doesn’t have the speed James does.

On top of that, San Francisco added a number of other pass catchers during the offseason, including rookies Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd. Veteran wide receiver Jordan Matthews can also serve as a big slot as well. He performed well during OTAs, too, and that could potentially take reps away from Taylor over time.

Especially in the red zone.

Projecting Role and Impact with the 49ers in 2019

Early in the offseason, one might have thought Taylor was on the roster bubble. After OTAs, though, it no longer seems as if that’s the case. Barring injury or a complete meltdown in training camp, Taylor will be on the Niners’ 53-man roster come Week 1.

Taylor’s use will largely hinge on how the remaining crop of wideouts determine their roles. It’s possible Matthews and fellow receiver Marquise Goodwin both see time out of the slot. Second-year pro Dante Pettis can play here, too, meaning Taylor’s use could be a bit more limited than it was in 2017.

But less could be more for Taylor, whose back injury is going to remain a question mark entering the regular season. Saving Taylor for key situations, especially third-down snaps, might be wise.

As a result, look for Taylor to reemerge as a third-down weapon for Shanahan and Garoppolo, possibly replicating the kind of numbers he showcased back in 2017.

Anything beyond would be a nice, nice bonus.