Ranking 49ers 3 best candidates for No. 3 wide receiver

The San Francisco 49ers’ roster is one of the deepest in the league, but there’s one major question: who is the team’s No. 3 receiver?

A quick glance at the expected 53-man roster for the San Francisco 49ers heading into the 2021 season suggests that they’ll be among the better teams in the NFC and potential Super Bowl contenders, provided they stay healthy.

At positions like the defensive line, linebacker, and running back, there are questions swirling about who will make the biggest impact or who’ll play the most snaps. It’s not a matter of depth being an issue, but that there’s an abundance of players who could be key contributors for the upcoming season.

One position that doesn’t have the same type of inquiries surrounding it, however, is the wide receiver group.

The unit is headlined by two potential stars-in-the-making in 2019 second-round draft pick Deebo Samuel and 2020 first-round draft pick Brandon Aiyuk, both of whom have proved themselves capable of being top receiving options for whoever plays quarterback for this team.

Beyond that, curiosity abounds.

It isn’t from a lack of options, since the current 90-man roster boasts 11 wide receivers not named Samuel or Aiyuk with various levels of NFL experience and pedigrees. This list includes former first-round draft picks like Kevin White, long-time veterans like Mohamed Sanu and Travis Benjamin, and rookies such as Austin Watkins Jr., not to mention guys like Jalen Hurd and Jauan Jennings who are essentially rookies.

The long and the short of it is, that while there are certainly some names among the group, there is little indication of who will be the leading candidates to lead the charge as the 49ers’ No. 3 receiver, a position that is wide open heading into training camp.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the three most viable options to step into that role for the 49ers for the 2021 season.