49ers land speedy TCU wide receiver in NFL Mocks’ latest mock NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers will likely take advantage of a deep wide receiver class in the 2020 NFL Draft, and NFL Mocks believes this will take place in Round 1.

The wide receiver crop of players in the 2020 NFL Draft could arguably be the deepest seen in years, and it would be foolish to think San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t want to take advantage of that assessment.

San Francisco owns the No. 31 overall pick in the draft. After that, the Niners aren’t scheduled to select until Round 5, prompting many to think Shanahan and general manager John Lynch trade out of that spot to acquire more draft capital.

But that’s not what Sayre Bedinger of our friends over at NFL Mocks thinks.

Instead, Bedinger’s latest mock suggests the 49ers go after a top-flight wide receiver with their first pick, TCU’s Jalen Reagor:

"The 49ers traded third- and fourth-round picks for Emmanuel Sanders and I think because of that, they will obviously try to bring him back, and even if they do, this is a move that would make some sense.Jalen Reagor has a legit chance to break the 4.3 barrier in the 40-yard dash. His speed is exceptional and it pops up constantly with the way he plays.Although at TCU he hasn’t had the best QB play, he’s put some jaw-dropping plays on tape and has even bigger potential at the next level.Dropped passes may be a small concern here, but Reagor is a stud as a prospect and in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, he’s a dynamic deep threat who can blow the top off defenses especially with those other studs around him."

Two things stand out about Bedinger’s breakdown. San Francisco would likely want to re-sign Sanders. But with a projected $12.9 million in available cap space, per Over the Cap, it could be challenging to bring back the soon-to-be 33 year old.

Even if Sanders returns, the 49ers would likely want to grab someone potent to pair with up-and-coming wide receiver Deebo Samuel, also replacing Sanders at some point down the line.

The other factor of note is Reagor’s speed. If the 4.3 40-yard dash time is projected to be accurate, there’s little questioning his immediate fit in Shanahan’s offense, which is predicated on speed and route-running abilities at the position.

As far as the route running is concerned, just check out what Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network had to say:

"Appreciate the nuance he brings to route releases to force false steps or create space before accelerating. He’s shifty both at the LOS and when closing down on the toes of off defenders, showing great snap, footwork and pace. Movement skills to run any route in the tree."

Crabbs and Bedinger both admit Reagor has some issues with drops. But that was the case with Samuel, too, and that didn’t stop the 49ers offense from blossoming last season. In all likelihood, Reagor’s negative trait here would be something Shanahan would be willing to accept, as long as the speedy wideout is able to translate those skills over to his complex offensive system.

In an ideal world, of course, the Niners would still be able to trade out of the No. 31 overall spot, perhaps into the early stages of Round 2, picking up an extra pick or two in the process.

But draft-day deals are hard to predict, and there’s always the possibility Reagor won’t fall much further beyond San Francisco’s first-round selection.

Without a pressing need for a lot of other upgrades and replacements, the 49ers may be able to afford not trading down anyway.

The 2020 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23 from Las Vegas, Nevada.