2020 NFL Combine: 3 sleeper draft picks 49ers must watch

The 2020 NFL Draft boasts one of the deepest and most talented crops at wide receiver in recent memory, and it would be shocking if head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t elect to dip into this pool at some point in the draft.

Yet the limited number of picks could ultimately mean a selection at this position doesn’t come until day three of the draft.

If that’s the case, one player who could fit the bill for Shanahan and the 49ers is Miami’s Jeff Thomas.

Thomas, who’ll likely wind up going somewhere around Round 5, is 5-foot-10 and 174 pounds, making him more of a candidate for slot-receiving duties at the pro level. Yet Shanahan’s offense doesn’t deploy receivers in a traditional fashion, meaning it wouldn’t be shocking to see a player like Thomas lining up all over the field.

What makes Thomas intriguing here is his excellent route-running capabilities and smooth acceleration, followed by burst to get into space. This creates many a yards-after-the-catch opportunity, even though he doesn’t have truly elite-level speed and is lacking on the size factor.

As far as needs go, the 49ers would hope slot receiver Trent Taylor returns from a season-long foot injury suffered in 2019. But with Taylor being banged up the better part of the last two years, and fellow receivers Richie James and Dante Pettis not exactly utilized last season, a player like Thomas could easily find himself on San Francisco’s radar.

Especially if his combine numbers wind up being impressive.