Predicting 49ers 2019 wide receiver depth chart early in preseason
By Peter Panacy
49ers Reserves and Backup Wide Receivers
Trent Taylor won’t be placed on injured reserve to start the season unless things get notably worse during his recovery. Instead, he’ll likely wind up inactive for the first weeks of the regular season, or so, freeing up other active spots for other players on the roster.
That said, Kyle Shanahan still has a number of choices to round out the rest of his wide receiver depth chart.
Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis and Richie James have all made the cut, with Shawn Poindexter being selected to the practice squad. Assuming Shanahan keeps just seven receivers on his 53-man roster, and with Taylor still present if not active early, there are only three more spots to fill.
But what if Shanahan keeps eight? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a team has gone such a route.
Trent Taylor
One should assume Taylor a favorite to reclaim his starting slot duties once he returns from injury. The initial prognosis was four to six weeks, although it wouldn’t be overly shocking to see Taylor back after the Niners bye in Week 4.
Deebo Samuel
San Francisco’s second-round pick from this year’s NFL Draft, Deebo Samuel, is all but guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster. And he managed a team-leading 61 yards on two receptions during the 49ers’ first preseason game of 2019, which is a great sign.
Shanahan might want to wait a bit before pressing Samuel into immediate service, yet it’s likely the rookie winds up seeing a good chunk of the field early in a reserve role.
San Francisco 49ers
Kendrick Bourne
The 49ers’ leading wide receiver from last season, Kendrick Bourne, was also another player on the roster bubble to start training camp. But he’s blossomed since that early projection, and the Niners seem enamored with his still-budding red-zone abilities.
Look for Bourne to be a regular swap-out candidate for boundary duties with Goodwin this season.
Jalen Hurd
Like Samuel, third-round draftee Jalen Hurd is all but guaranteed a roster spot this season. He excelled during San Francisco’s opening preseason matchup, hauling in two touchdowns and looking impressive in doing so.
Still, he needs polishing and may take a while before he’s a regular commodity on the field. But the fact the 6-foot-4 former collegiate running back is a unique weapon, perhaps Shanahan elects to cut back at another position (let’s say, tight end) to make room for an eighth wideout on the 53-man roster.
Jordan Matthews
It’s not hard to find 53-man roster predictions and projections stating the 49ers’ free-agent pickup from this offseason, Jordan Matthews, fails to make the cut.
Matthews, who impressed during OTAs earlier this spring, seemingly is losing a roster battle with Bourne now. But Taylor’s injury creates a bit of a dilemma for Shanahan here. Even with James in the picture, Matthews can serve as a big slot — something Shanahan talked about regarding Matthews earlier this offseason — and is a good insurance policy to have against another wide receiver going down with an injury.
Plus, looking at his’ one-year contract, the minimal guaranteed money means Matthews is essentially on a “pay-per-game deal” this season.
Next. 3 things 49ers need to shore up in preseason vs. Broncos. dark
Granted, there’s still a lot of time between now and the final wave of roster cuts, which will take place shortly after San Francisco’s last preseason game of 2019.
But that’s why we have prediction pieces to see just how right or wrong we can be.