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2020 NFL Draft: 3 Round 1 prospects 49ers hope fall to No. 31

By Peter Panacy

TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 10: Xavier McKinney #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide knocks down a pass by Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 10: Xavier McKinney #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide knocks down a pass by Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado Buffaloes
Laviska Shenault Jr. #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Buffaloes . Laviska Shenault Jr.. 2. player. 857. . Wide Receiver

The 49ers aren’t likely to take an offensive lineman with their first pick in the NFL Draft. But they honestly could grab a wide receiver at No. 31.

Fortunately, there are more than enough prospects at this position to entice head coach Kyle Shanahan on draft day. And while the names are many, only a handful stand out among the rest.

One of those is Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr.

Shenault, who stands at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, boasts one thing the Niners generally lack at the position: size. He has the strength, versatility and exceptional ability to pick up yards after the catch — traits Shanahan would certainly covet.

Even better, Shenault recently told reporters he enjoys Shanahan’s offense.

“I think there’s a couple of teams, but I’d say most definitely the 49ers because with Deebo Samuel, they moved him around everywhere and just created mismatches and tried to get him the ball in different positions,” Shenault said when asked about a preferable offense, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “Deebo Samuel definitely did a lot of moving around and just getting the ball in different places.”

The only thing, however, is Shenault might not fall to No. 31. Matt Miller tabs him as the No. 28 overall prospect, and there are plenty of receiver-needy teams (ahem, the New England Patriots) selecting ahead of San Francisco.

If he falls, though.