Predicting 10 players who make 49ers practice squad in 2019

No. 1: Wide Receiver Shawn Poindexter

As is the case with both running back and the defensive line, the 49ers don’t exactly need extra regular-season bodies at wide receiver this season. There are likely going to be a handful of roster-caliber players let go by Week 1 here.

But there’s a good reason to keep an eye on rookie wideout Shawn Poindexter: size.

At 6-foot-5, Poindexter is already the tallest wide receiver on San Francisco’s offseason roster. And while Kyle Shanahan doesn’t exactly prize size among his pass catchers, per se, he has to at least be enticed by what Poindexter could offer in the red zone.

Especially considering the Niners finished dead last in red-zone touchdown efficiency last year.

Poindexter suggested this kind of production his final year at Arizona, recording 759 receiving yards and an impressive 11 touchdowns. And while he ran a slowish 4.68 40-yard time during his pro day, Poindexter’s mere size could be enough to develop as a wait-and-see prospect.

This film breakdown, courtesy of Niners Nation’s Kyle Posey, helps illustrate why the 49ers would want to keep Poindexter around in 2019 in this kind of role.

If the 49ers wind up struggling in the red zone again this year, Poindexter could be a player Shanahan winds up turning to at some point sooner than later.