49ers Drake Jackson, 4 other rookies who break out right away

49ers breakout rookie No. 3: Wide receiver Danny Gray

“Breakout” might be a relative term in the case of one of the newest 49ers wide receivers, Danny Gray, whose role on the offense isn’t exactly projected to be a big one.

But, if Gray fully excels in that role, it’ll nevertheless be significant.

The Niners’ top three wideouts are all but set entering 2022 with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings claiming these spots. Yet what’s missing from the crop is a true deep threat, someone who can stretch the field and open things up by pulling at least one opposing defensive back down the field.

That’ll presumably be Gray’s job, and he’ll look to use his 4.33 40-yard speed to make this kind of impact.

Granted, Gray was sidelined from mandatory minicamp with a hamstring injury, and there are questions stemming from his hands and drops from his playing days at SMU.

That said, if he comes back healthy, it might not be overly shocking to see Gray not make a huge impact in total receptions or yards, but he could have a massive impact in the yards-per-reception department, as he’d be someone who could capitalize on favorable one-on-one matchups down the field.