49ers 2019 training camp: 5 top takeaways amid preseason

No. 3: Someone Needs to Step Up at Wide Receiver

Remember that part about the 49ers being deep at wide receiver?

Being deep doesn’t always equate to boasting a ton of talent. At least not on the proven side just yet.

Rookies Jalen Hurd and Deebo Samuel have been making strides as of late, particularly during San Francisco’s first NFL preseason game of 2019. Hurd is emerging as a solid red-zone threat, too, which is great news considering the Niners were worst in the league in red-zone touchdown efficiency a year ago.

That said, both are still rookies. And Kyle Shanahan isn’t ready to crown either player a bona fide threat yet, as he told reporters a week ago:

"The rookies, they made some good plays last night, but they also weren’t very consistent either. There’s lots of parts about their game that they have to clean up, and I thought it was very similar in the veterans, too. You expect the veterans to be out there, making some plays like they did a few times, but they also made mistakes."

Second-year pro Dante Pettis, whom the 49ers are placing a ton of hopes on this year, has had some up-and-down moments in training camp so far. San Francisco is hoping for Pettis to pick up where he left off late last season — a solid No. 1 threat on the outside or inside, depending where Shanahan lines him up.

So far, though, Pettis and the other pass catchers are lacking one of the biggest attributes necessary to a successful passing attack: consistency.

Hopefully the next few weeks bring this element out of the group.