SF 49ers: Ranking 3 biggest weaknesses four weeks into 2020
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Weakest Position No. 3: Wide Receiver
It’s somewhat unfair to list the 49ers’ wide receiver crop as one of the weakest links on the team at this point through the season.
Especially considering two of their top wideouts, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, have dealt with injuries early this year.
Aiyuk returned in Week 2, of course, and he’s managed touchdowns on the ground the past two weeks. Like Samuel, Aiyuk is being used as a dual-threat option, capable of catching passes and serving as a legitimate rushing threat. To date, he has 178 total yards from scrimmage, which ranks fourth best among all Niners offensive players.
The problem, though, is there has been almost zero production from the other options on the depth chart. No. 3 wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has accumulated 197 receiving yards thus far with Aiyuk boasting 109 of his own through the air.
The next most? Slot receiver Trent Taylor with 37.
Third-year wide receiver Dante Pettis, not surprisingly, hasn’t been a factor. Neither has the recently acquired veteran, Mohamed Sanu, who has just one catch for 9 yards.
Fortunately, and what keeps this unit No. 3 on this list and not higher, Samuel and Aiyuk are poised to return fully healthy together, with Bourne acting as a solid third-tier option.