No. 7: With injuries starting to pile up in the wide receivers room, Derel Walker can be an immediate upgrade and starter for the SF 49ers
Derel Walker is one of the best wide receivers to play in the CFL. The lengthy, physical receiver would help head coach Kyle Shanahan stretch the field and would be an instant upgrade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Walker played his first four seasons in Edmonton and won a Grey Cup with the club in 2015, his rookie year. During their run to the Cup, Walker had 89 catches and over 1,000 yards.
One of the main reasons CFL receiver hardly pan out in the NFL is due to the lack of pre-snap movements. In the CFL receivers are crisscrossing and getting a head start on their routes while in the NFL, receivers are still at the line of scrimmage and must stop and set before the snap.
Walker has enough speed to get off the line and make his defenders miss. In this clip from TSN, Walker is at the top of your screen. He slows up at the line and it’s just a simple go-route. When the quarterback gets the ball in the air, there’s a cornerback on Walker. He just jumps up and snags the ball and speeds 101 yards for a touchdown:
The only downside is injury concerns. But the 49ers need wide receiver help and Walker can be the help they need.