Ranking 10 best 49ers wide receivers taken in NFL Draft

No. 9: Bernie Casey

No. 9 Overall, 1961 NFL Draft

Fans may have to dust off the old film reels to recall the next player on this list, wide receiver Bernie Casey, who was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft long before both the NFL and AFL merged.

Before Casey became a Hollywood star, he was a notable football player.

Casey wasn’t so much of a pure wide receiver, rather an all-around offensive weapon, which was common for teams before the modern era. He’d play a combination of positions, sort of like a hybrid tight end or H-back with a lot of reps on the boundary.

But the production was there, which makes him inclusive of this list.

During his six-year career with the 49ers, Casey managed four seasons with over 700 receiving yards, and those included two with 800 yards, too. It’s pretty notable considering the league’s schedule was two games less than the 16-game regular-season slate seen much later.

In total, Casey amassed 4,008 receiving yards during his Niners time, which ranks 13th best among all San Francisco pass catchers.

The 49ers would be thrilled to land a player who put up that many yards in that length of time.