2021 NFL Draft: 5 prospects 49ers should watch early on

49ers Target No. 4: Wide Receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.

LSU’s offense is going to be interesting to watch after their championship season, particularly with quarterback Joe Burrow now in the NFL ranks as the No. 1 overall draft choice in 2020.

The same goes for wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was one of the primary beneficiaries from Burrow’s stellar campaign, and now finds himself a top option for the Minnesota Vikings.

With Jefferson gone, wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. could wind up being the go-to option on the boundary and could capitalize on being the alpha receiver for head coach Ed Orgeron’s offense.

Marshall also enjoyed a productive 2019 campaign with 671 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last year, showcasing his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame as a great red-zone threat.

And that’s something the Niners still need.

Granted, San Francisco has selected wide receivers early in the draft the last three years, the latest being Round 1 selection, Brandon Aiyuk, out of Arizona State. But the 49ers could still use some added help here, and Marshall could fill a niche the Niners have mostly lacked, not having invested too much in bid-bodied wide receivers.

If Marshall puts up an impressive campaign this season, it’ll be hard for head coach Kyle Shanahan to overlook the sizable target on draft day.