4 new NFC West players 49ers should worry about in 2021

49ers worry-about player No. 3: WR D’Wayne Eskridge, Seahawks

The Seahawks entered the NFL Draft with only a handful of picks, so they were going to be limited with whatever they attempted to do anyway.

And while Seattle needed to address both its offensive line and secondary, going after a wide receiver in Round 2 with D’Wayne Eskridge out of Western Michigan was a bit of a head-scratching move.

But it doesn’t mean Eskridge won’t be an electrifying talent to the Seahawks offense.

Quarterback Russell Wilson has long since been a thorn in the Niners’ collective side over the years, and his prowess as a playmaker has only grown with the impact of both veteran wideouts Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Add the speedy and shifty Eskridge to the equation, and Seattle’s offense could once again return to being one of the more prolific units through the air in the entire NFL.

This is particularly more problematic for a team like San Francisco, which has its own question marks about the secondary even after onboarding three defensive backs — Ambry Thomas, Deommodore Lenoir and Talanoa Hufanga — on draft day. Trying to keep players like Lockett and Metcalf from being massive forces could open up the door for Eskridge to have plenty of one-on-one matchups against the 49ers defensive backfield.

And if he reaches his full potential, Eskridge could be that next proverbial “thorn” for the Niners.