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

SF 49ers Target No. 2: Rashod Bateman, Minnesota

Another NFL Draft prospect on the fringes of the first and second rounds is Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who has some advantages over a player like Kadarius Toney but probably isn’t anywhere as close to being as versatile.

It’s a tossup who of the two might slip into the middle of Round 2, and it’ll likely depend on teams’ preferences. But if the SF 49ers are looking for a quality possession receiver to replace the likes of Kendrick Bourne with a quality upside of being a regular contributor, Bateman wouldn’t be a bad target.

At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Bateman has a likable size attribute that makes him both a key third-down weapon and red-zone target. While he doesn’t necessarily have elite-level speed, he makes up for it with the combination of strength and route-running abilities. Those elements helped him reach 1,219 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns for the Golden Gophers back in 2019 before appearing in just five games last season.

A trio consisting of Bateman, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel would be threatening, as each receiver would offer up a unique skill set poised to make the Niners offense that much more diverse and explosive.