4 best-case scenarios for 49ers in 2021 NFL Draft

No. 1: 49ers grab Nico Collins on day three of NFL Draft

San Francisco would be wise to bolster their wide receiver depth behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, especially considering how deep this year’s NFL Draft is at the position.

And while it’s debatable how big a priority the 49ers should put on adding wide receivers, it certainly wouldn’t be a bad approach to target Michigan wideout Nico Collins on day three.

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Collins could easily be one of those players who ascend into day two of the draft, particularly after his impressive 4.42 40-yard dash at his pro day, which gives him the speed attribute to go along with his massive 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame.

Yet Collins’ relative lack of a complex route tree, combined with the fact he sat out 2020 amid the pandemic, could lower his draft stock.

Still, there’s so much to like about what Collins could offer to a team like the Niners, particularly as a third-down target and legitimate red-zone weapon with speed to burn.

Collins is the kind of player who could offer what San Francisco was hoping to get from its third-round addition in 2019, wide receiver Jalen Hurd, who missed the last two years with serious injuries.

And one could make the argument Collins would offer more, too, given he’s not a converted running back like Hurd was at the college level.

At any rate, Collins has the makings of a mismatch nightmare and would be a potentially vital cog player in Kyle Shanahan’s offense if he slips into day three.