San Francisco 49ers: Regrading 2017 NFL Draft class

Round 5: 49ers Wide Receiver Trent Taylor

It’s a bit hard to truly grade Trent Taylor considering the fact he’s missed the better portion of the past two seasons with various injuries. A back injury hindered him in 2018, while a complex foot fracture and subsequent surgeries landed him on injured reserve before the 2019 regular season began.

Yet there are two things preventing Taylor from being essentially a wasted pick.

For starters, Round 5 selections rarely are expected to provide more than just modest depth support and role efforts. Over his first year-plus, Taylor did much more than that, particularly considering his late-2017 rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo.

On top of that, Taylor’s 19 third-down receptions for a first down that year ranked ninth best among all NFL pass catchers and was tied for first among rookies.

Not bad at all for a fifth-round selection.

So far, the total results from Taylor — 69 receptions for 645 yards and three touchdowns — have been no more than modest. And one can only hope he bounces back from last year’s injury with a vengeance.