Ranking 49ers 5 biggest roster needs ahead of NFL free agency
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Wide Receiver
In terms of overall team need, wide receiver could be one of the most pressing positional needs the 49ers have this offseason.
If not the biggest need, especially if veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders departs in NFL free agency.
Behind wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne, the Niners have far too many unknowns. Third-year pro Dante Pettis all but disappeared from Kyle Shanahan’s game plan last year, and fellow wideouts Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd spent all of 2019 on injured reserve. Hurd has yet to play a regular-season snap at the pro level as well.
The No. 1 element keeping this position from being ranked higher on this list, however, is just how deep the 2020 NFL Draft is at wide receiver. It’s highly likely San Francisco takes advantage of this, perhaps even using its top pick in the draft to address the need. There are also likely to be some favorable fits much later in the draft, too.
But like most positions on this list, the 49ers may be enticed to look at some low-budget options on the free-agent market.
As Niner Noise broke down here, previously, a number of potential names to watch could be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Breshad Perriman, the Green Bay Packers’ Geronimo Allison or former Chicago Bears wideout Taylor Gabriel, who was a Shanahan free-agent target back in 2017.
Even if the Niners bring Sanders back, one might think free agency provides a plausible option to reinforce the back end of the wide receiver depth chart.