49ers 2020 training camp: One battle to watch for each position
By Peter Panacy
49ers Wide Receiver: No. 2 Option Opposite Deebo Samuel
San Francisco has a breakout receiving star in the making, second-year wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Who starts opposite Samuel, however, is quite the open-ended question.
The Niners figure to give Brandon Aiyuk every chance to secure this option, potentially taking him away from return abilities to limit the possibility of injury his rookie season. And while the 49ers’ first-round pick has a trajectory aimed at making him an immediate starter, it’s often premature to assign these kinds of responsibilities right out of the gate.
Even Samuel started slow before catching on in the second half of 2019.
There are other names to watch when considering who actually starts opposite Samuel, at least at the beginning of the regular season. Late last year, Emmanuel Sanders was the option. But Sanders left for the New Orleans Saints in free agency. It’s possible fourth-year pro Kendrick Bourne earns this nod until Aiyuk is brought up to speed.
San Francisco has some dark-horse candidates in the mix, too, including Dante Pettis if he bounces back in a big way from last year. One can’t overlook someone like second-year pro Jalen Hurd, too, who also missed 2019 with an injury.
Either way, getting that complementary piece to Samuel will be crucial for the 49ers’ offensive efforts this season.