Van Jefferson needs to be on 49ers radar in 2020 NFL Draft

One player who greatly helped himself in the Senior Bowl was Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson. Niner Noise breaks down why Jefferson would be an ideal target for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft.

With the season now over and the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine now laying ahead, all eyes are on which players the San Francisco 49ers will select in the 2020 NFL Draft in the hopes the team can go one better next season.

One area which could be upgraded is at wide receiver.

The Niners have some handy pieces there but also a lot of questions. Deebo Samuel is clearly the best talent the 49ers have, and Jalen Hurd will be in the mix. But every other player has some sort of question mark.

Emmanuel Sanders and Kendrick Bourne are both free agents, although Bourne is of the restricted variety. Both have a spot on the team, but the priority will be on signing other players first. Dante Pettis is talented but in the doghouse. He can’t be given up on so soon, but he needs to show he can take his career seriously. Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor are both under injury clouds and haven’t taken the steps forward that people have expected. Richie James is mostly a special teams ace only.

In short, Samuel is the only wide receiver guaranteed to be back next season who can be assured of having any appreciable impact for the 49ers.

Luckily for San Francisco, this is a draft class deep with wide receivers. One receiver who has improved his draft stock considerably but can still be picked in the later rounds is Florida’s Van Jefferson.

Jefferson has been a solid contributor for the Gators after transferring from Ole Miss. He had 35 catches for 503 yards and six touchdowns for his junior year before following it up with 49 catches for 657 yards and six touchdowns this season.

He has a decent build at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, and his best strength may be his route running. Route running is important for the 49ers offense, as those abilities are what gives receivers that separation that allow the tricky plays to work.

Jefferson also had a lot of versatility for the pros. He can play outside and in the slot, while also contributing to special teams as a gunner. Florida has done a good job getting him prepared for the NFL.

Jefferson also has solid hands. Drops were an issue at times during the season, so the 49ers need more receivers who can secure the football.

Sounds good, right? Well, there are some limitations to Jefferson that will cause him to be a likely day-three pick.

The biggest knock is on his speed. He isn’t exceptionally quick, although he is functional, and he isn’t big enough to make up for that fact. He’s a tweener in that regard, possessing merely decent speed and decent size, which means he can’t outpace a speedy defensive back or outmuscle someone more physical.

Unfortunately for Jefferson, his body is mostly filled out. He will be 24 years old before he takes a snap in the NFL, and doesn’t have much in the way of development for his body anymore.

With such a deep receiver class, Jefferson will be pushed down. His impressive Senior Bowl has rehabilitated his draft stock somewhat, and he should be selected no later than the fourth or fifth round with a chance to sneak into the end of day two.

A strong pro day and combine could very push his draft stock even higher as well. Especially if he tests well against other receivers who are slated to be picked ahead of him, currently.

While the 49ers would likely need to perform some trades to be picking in that fourth-round area Jefferson is currently looking at, such a trade isn’t unlikely. The 49ers only have one selection (Pick No. 31) in the first two days of the draft, and it makes sense to get back some draft capital from someone looking to trade back into the first round.

The Niners need to upgrade their receiver stocks and this is the draft to do so. Some wheeling and dealing will need to be done, but Jefferson fits the mold of what the 49ers need with a shifty route runner who can catch the football.