49ers training camp: 3 problems Kyle Shanahan will face at wide receiver

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Emmanuel Sanders #17 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

No. 1: 49ers are missing a veteran’s presence

In 2017, the Niners brought aboard a veteran wideout in Pierre Garcon, both to serve as a possession receiver and to mentor San Francisco’s other pass-catchers, most of whom were awfully young and inexperienced.

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When Garcon was gone in 2019, the 49ers wide receiver room didn’t produce much until Emmanuel Sanders was brought into the fray. As Dieter Kurtenbach wrote:

"Sanders’ veteran leadership also helped the young, inexperienced Niners wide receivers better understand what Shanahan was asking them to do in his offense. It’s as tough on wideouts as any scheme in the league, but Sanders’ decoding is credited in the Niners’ locker room for elevating the run game in addition to the passing game."

True, some of those young wide receivers, namely Trent Taylor and Deebo Samuel, found success in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. That’ll help. But it only goes so far.

True, the Niners are onboarding Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, both experienced veterans who have stuck around in the league for a while and have had their own measures of modest success. Keep in mind, though, both players lasted through free agency into the month of August. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, and both wideouts aren’t exactly versed in Shanahan’s offense either.

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This, perhaps, could be Shanahan’s biggest challenge in training camp. Lacking that veteran leadership is something the head coach will have to accommodate.