SF 49ers: 3 perfect Kyle Shanahan players in 2021 NFL Draft

1 of 4

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

SF 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan certainly has his ideas for players tailored to his squad, and these three NFL Draft prospects make perfect sense.

The 2021 NFL Draft is approaching fast, and most teams, including the SF 49ers, are scrambling to find the players they think will make a lasting impact on their roster.

Of course, teams can only do so much due to the order of the draft, but it’s still fun to take a look at which players, regardless of draft position, would be the best fit for a head coach Kyle Shanahan-led offense.

When it comes to Shanahan’s preference, everything is about strength, versatility and creating plays on your own. Putting it more simply, yards after the catch are what it’s all about.

Shanahan has been vying for a positionless offense for some time now, and his recent pickups in the NFL Draft have suggested this. In 2019, the Niners went after and landed wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has often been used as a rusher on end-arounds and jet sweeps, while last year’s first-round draft pick, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, is also a versatile weapon.

And as far as scheme fit goes, getting someone who can create yards after the catch can be just as vital as the other attributes. Likewise, playmakers who can help engineer Shanahan’s offense in such a way can also be valuable.

Let’s take a look at three 2021 NFL Draft prospects we see as near-perfect fits for San Francisco.

We will not try and pick players who address any particular needs, nor will we take the Niners draft positions into account, but rather let’s just try to pick out players who are tailor-made for Shanahan’s offense.