3 questions 49ers have to answer before 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Who Are the Mid-Round Wide Receivers the 49ers Like?
There’s a good chance San Francisco will use its first pick, No. 13 overall, on a wide receiver. The three who come to mind are Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, and Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, and they all could be available when the Niners’ number is first called.
Yet there are other positions which could be more pressing, which could prompt the 49ers to postpone their wide receiver needs until later.
It’s a bonus the 2020 draft class is one of the deepest seen in recent memory. And while the Niners don’t have any day-two picks, currently, any one of an infinite amount of trade-down scenarios could ultimately land John Lynch more picks in Rounds 2, 3 or 4.
And there are plenty of top-caliber wideouts who could be grabbed at those points, too.
The key for San Francisco here is identifying which of those day-two prospects in the middle rounds who would be ideal fits for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. USC’s Michael Pittman Jr. seems to check off a lot of boxes, and he looks to be a second-round pick. Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk is in a similar category, or the Niners could target a faller in the draft like Colorado’s Laviska Shenault Jr.
Either way, prioritizing which second- or third-round wide receivers would be fits should be a high priority for Lynch and Shanahan, so they can potentially use their Round 1 selections to address other areas of need.
Speaking of which…