5 prospects 49ers would run to the podium for in 2022 NFL Draft

49ers hopeful No. 1: WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas

Going back to the Deebo Samuel situation here, should he end up staying in San Francisco, the 49ers certainly wouldn’t be anywhere close to using their top pick in the draft to address wide receiver needs.

However, assuming Samuel is gone, the need to find an adequate replacement suddenly becomes much bigger a priority.

So, why not seek a player who modeled his collegiate game after Samuel?

Granted, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks isn’t exactly a Samuel clone. At 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, he’s much bigger but lacks the top-end speed to create the yards-after-the-catch possibilities Samuel so adequately displayed during his Niners tenure so far.

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Burks has, however, lined up all over the offensive formation during his college days, taking handoffs and serving as a pass-catching target from anywhere on the field at any given time.

It’s hard to predict exactly where Burks winds up being selected. Some big boards peg him as a surefire first-round pick, while others suggest he’ll be an early selection on day three.

Either way, should Samuel no longer be in the picture, one might expect someone like Burks to rocket up San Francisco’s target list.