49ers NFL Draft 2021: 4 slot receiver prospects to target
By Peter Panacy
49ers Target No. 3: Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace could have declared for the 2020 NFL Draft and probably would have been a decent day-three pick even though a serious knee injury prematurely ended his 2019 campaign.
Going back for another season surely benefited Wallace, though, and the 5-foot-11, 194-pound receiver backed up his impressive 2018 and 2019 efforts with 59 catches for 922 yards and six touchdowns.
Overall, there’s nothing to complain about from Wallace’s production side:
| Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Scri | Scri | Scri | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg |
| *2017 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | FR | WR | 5 | 7 | 118 | 16.9 | 0 | 7 | 118 | 16.9 |
| *2018 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | SO | WR | 13 | 86 | 1491 | 17.3 | 12 | 87 | 1497 | 17.2 |
| *2019 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | JR | WR | 9 | 53 | 903 | 17.0 | 8 | 54 | 903 | 16.7 |
| *2020 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | SR | WR | 10 | 59 | 922 | 15.6 | 6 | 60 | 929 | 15.5 |
| Career | Oklahoma State | 205 | 3434 | 16.8 | 26 | 208 | 3447 | 16.6 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 4/12/2021.
Wallace has good enough speed — he ran a 4.48 40-yard time at his pro day — but what makes him an enticing 49ers prospect to look at, either late on day two or early on day three, is his versatility and route-running prowess.
His size works against him, yes, and he might have some difficulty winning one-on-one matchups against press coverage.
But if he can get free, don’t let Wallace’s smallish frame fool you. He’s tough, physical and doesn’t hesitate to fight for extra yards. Plus, his footwork is good enough to create separation from the snap, and his ability to work over the middle could help open up the Niners’ passing efforts over the middle of the field.