49ers trade Jimmy Garoppolo in this 7-round mock NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
player. 886. . Wide Receiver. Knights . Marlon Williams. 117
Round 4, Pick No. 117 Overall: 49ers select wide receiver Marlon Williams, UCF
The 2021 NFL Draft is tremendously deep with wide receiver talent, and it’s going to be a complete shocker if Kyle Shanahan passes on one of the many promising mid-round targets.
It isn’t as if the 49ers lack the need.
Behind wideouts Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, the Niners have some serious depth questions. Yes, Mohamed Sanu is back after appearing in three games last year. Fellow wideouts Richie James and River Cracraft may carve out roles on the back end of the depth chart, too.
Aside from that, though, there are a lot of unknowns.
UCF's Marlon Williams is a perfect 49ers late-round target. light. Related Story
San Francisco will need to replace the production left by its No. 3 wide receiver the last two seasons, Kendrick Bourne, who’s with the Patriots now. And one of the players who’d fit the bill is UCF wideout Marlon Williams, who had 1,039 receiving yards last season with 10 touchdowns.
At 6-foot-0 and 215 pounds, Williams has a similar build as Bourne but is a shade faster. Plus, Williams plays with a level of physicality and separation abilities that make his ceiling noticeably higher than Bourne’s, too.
While Williams’ route tree is a bit limited, and it might take him time to fully acclimate to Shanahan’s offense, he could be a quality big-slot weapon and high-value possession receiver to round out the 49ers’ top three wide receiver weapons for the foreseeable future.