49ers Depth Chart No. 4: Wide Receiver Kevin White
Kevin White, another first-round “bust,” is going to have a tough road ahead of him to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster by Week 1.
Especially considering the intricate nature of Kyle Shanahan’s offense and the extreme burdens it places upon wide receivers.
Yet there are enough reasons to assume why White could stand an outside chance to make the cut. While it’s silly to assume he could make the regular-season squad based solely off his first-round pedigree alone — that time has long since passed — the 6-foot-3, 216-pound White does have attributes the Niners may be looking to field.
The player White replaced on the offseason roster, Jaron Brown who was also released, had a similar big-bodied stature Shanahan likely wants to employ in his wide receiver room.
This role, one featuring physicality, could have easily gone to one of San Francisco’s 2020 rookies, former Tennessee wideout Jauan Jennings, who was known for such during his collegiate playing days. Yet Jennings has been rather disappointing in training camp aside from the occasional impressive grab here and there, and it’s no guarantee he makes the 53-man roster. Especially after missing the luxury of much-needed spring workouts, due to the global pandemic.
While White has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies of his own over his career, he at least offers those traits both Brown and Jennings also possess, potentially being enough to round out the back end of the 49ers wide receiver room by Week 1.