Predicting 49ers starting lineup after 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Wide Receiver
X Receiver: Kendrick Bourne
Z Receiver: Brandon Aiyuk
Slot: Deebo Samuel
It’s important to note Kyle Shanahan doesn’t deploy his wide receivers in the traditional alignment. Slot receivers will run outside routs, while boundary receivers can move to the inside and over the middle. There are motions, misdirections and all kinds of trickery Shanahan has used over his tenure.
What’s important to look at is the starting trio, although the 49ers used plenty of 21 personnel (two wide receivers, two running backs, one tight end) in 2019 and figure to do so again in 2020, the three-wide sets (11 personnel) with one tight end and one running back has become a staple of most NFL offenses.
The rookie, Brandon Aiyuk, was great at off-man coverage, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him play the flanker role off the line of scrimmage a bit.
Aiyuk’s presence will continue making things difficult for third-year wide receiver Dante Pettis to get out of Shanahan’s proverbial doghouse, though.