SF 49ers: 10 wide receivers to target in 2021 NFL Draft

The SF 49ers are likely to take advantage of a deep class of wide receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft, and these 10 players make sense.

On the surface, it wouldn’t seem like the SF 49ers need to worry too much about their wide receiver room leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan already has his top two players figured out, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and they’re both poised to be a dynamic one-two pairing for the foreseeable future.

After those two, however, things get a little murkier.

The Niners lost their No. 3 wideout, Kendrick Bourne, this offseason in free agency to the New England Patriots. Fellow receivers like Richie James, River Cracraft and even the veteran, Mohamed Sanu, are little more than depth pieces right now, and the hope for third-year pro Jalen Hurd is to merely stay healthy after missing back-to-back years with serious injuries.

So it wouldn’t be a shock to see San Francisco take advantage of a tremendously deep wide receiver draft class in 2021. While the SF 49ers’ recent trade to move up to No. 3 overall in the draft all but eliminates a first-round selection of a wideout, there are still plenty of other targets worthy of consideration.

Including these 10 players.

SF 49ers Target No. 1: Kadarius Toney, Florida

It’s a bit of a pipe dream for the Niners to think Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney falls to them at No. 43 overall, but the back end of Round 1 can always be a bit weird, and there are always first-round prospects who dip well into the second round anyway.

Perhaps that’s the hope with the 6-foot-0, 193-pound Toney, who has first-round pedigree but might be pushed out due to other teams’ grabbing players at thinner positions.

Toney burst onto the scene in 2020 with 70 catches, 984 yards and 10 touchdowns after being mostly a situational player his first three years with the Gators.

Envisioning the fit, just check out what NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah said:

"He lines up in the slot and does a lot of damage on fly sweeps and seam routes. His combination of play strength, burst and wiggle makes him difficult to get on the ground once the ball is in his hands. He doesn’t run a wide variety of routes, but he has the skill set to develop in that area. He’s dangerous in the return game because of his athleticism and lack of fear. Overall, Toney isn’t quite as big as Deebo Samuel, but I envision him playing the same role at the next level."

Finding a player similar to Samuel is attractive, especially considering San Francisco’s shift towards a more “positionless” offense. Toney, if available in Round 2, would be the perfect option to occupy that slot role while pairing with both Samuel and Aiyuk.

If Toney slips, of course.