20 all-time best 49ers wide receivers (Jerry Rice is No. 1 of course)
When looking at a list of the all-time best wide receivers in franchise history for the San Francisco 49ers, the ladder hierarchy starts out pretty clear at the top.
However, it gets a bit subjective as it progresses down the rungs.
The Niners have had some of the greatest wide receivers of all time pass through their doors, with unquestionably the greatest of all time spending the bulk of his career with the franchise.
Three out of the top five players with the most receiving yards of all time spent at least one season in a 49ers uniform. Although Isaac Bruce and Randy Moss (who spent a combined three seasons total with the team) won't make any all-time lists for San Francisco, they still were able to build upon their career stats with the team.
There will, however, be a lot of other forgotten faces from times past that donned the red and gold.
So let's take a walk down memory lane and look back at the 10 best wide receivers in Niners history.
49ers' 20 best wide receivers in franchise history
1. Jerry Rice (1985 to 2000)
There is no doubt who is No.1 on this list. Without a shadow of a doubt, the man sitting at the top of this list by miles is Jerry Rice.
He is not only thought of as the best wide receiver of all time in NFL history, but he is also widely regarded as one of the top players of all time regardless of position.
Rice made his debut with the team in 1985 and had a "modest" rookie season (for him) grabbing 49 receptions for 927 yards and three touchdowns. In his sophomore season, he would heat up and really never be cooled down.
In the 1986 season, he had 86 receptions, 1,570 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns. His prolific performance would earn him Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
Rice would go on to earn 12 Pro Bowl and 10 All-Pro selections as a member of the 49ers. He would also be instrumental in leading the team to three Super Bowl victories, winning the MVP of Super Bowl XXIII.
Rice finished his time with the 49ers with 19,247 yards receiving, putting him at No. 1 on the list in franchise history for that stat. He would end his career with 22,895 yards receiving putting him at No. 1 on the career list, miles ahead of his competition.
As of 2023, Rice sits comfortably at No. 1 on that list with the next active player at No. 16 and over 9,000 yards behind.
For his prolific career in both stats and as a winner, Rice is the unanimous No. 1 on this list.
2. Terrell Owens (1996 to 2003)
Although the tail end of his time with the 49ers was tumultuous, Terrell Owens gets the No. 2 spot for all he achieved with the team.
Owens was a third-round pick of the Niners in the 1996 NFL Draft. His rookie season was even more uneventful than Rice's. Owens's rookie numbers were 35 receptions, 520 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
As Owens progressed, he'd see improvement through each season. He finally had his first 1,000-plus-yard season in his third year.
In the 2000 NFL season, he would put up a stat line of 97 receptions, 1,451 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. This performance would earn him Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, his first time receiving either.
Although Owens never made it to the Super Bowl with San Francisco, he put up amazing numbers with the team. He finished his time with the 49ers with 8,572 receiving yards, putting him at No. 2 on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list.
3. Dwight Clark (1979 to 1987)
At No. 3 on the list we have the man who made "The Catch," Dwight Clark.
He is, of course, remembered for that fateful day when he made a game-winning touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship game to send the 49ers to their first Super Bowl.
Although the numbers Clark put up won't blow you away, especially compared to the pass-happy era we live in today, he was a consistent contributor to the team.
His best season was arguably 1981 where he had 85 receptions, 1,105 yards receiving and four touchdowns. He would earn a Pro Bowl selection that year.
Although his yards and receptions were slightly down the following season, he earned both Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in 1982.
Clark would finish his career with the 49ers with 6,750 receiving yards landing him at No. 3 on the all-time list for the team. He would also win two Super Bowls during his tenure.
Sadly, Clark would pass in June of 2018 after a battle with ALS. Later that year, though, the 49ers would honor him by unveiling a statue of "The Catch" at Levi's Stadium.
4. Gene Washington (1969 to 1977)
At No. 4, we take a trip back the early days of the Super Bowl era, where we have Gene Washington.
He was a first-round pick out of local Stanford for the 49ers in the 1969 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Washington had 51 receptions, 711 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He earned a Pro Bowl selection for his rookie campaign.
He took a huge leap in his sophomore year and finished that season with 53 receptions, 1,100 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. That performance would earn him both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
Washington had four Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections in his time with San Francisco. He would end his time with the 49ers with 6,664 receiving yards, an impressive feat for that era. That puts him No. 4 on the all-time receiving yards list of the 49ers.
5. John Taylor (1987 to 1995)
At No. 5, we have another stalwart from the 49ers' dynasty of the 1980s, John Taylor.
Taylor might best be remembered in Niners lore for his lone 10-yard reception in Super Bowl XXIII. That catch, of course, was the game-winning touchdown, which gave the 49ers a 20-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Taylor would end up winning three Super Bowls and earning two Pro Bowl selections during his time with San Francisco.
He finished his career, all of which was with the 49ers, with 5,598 receiving yards. To date, that puts him at No. 7 on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list.
6. Billy Wilson (1951 to 1960)
At No. 6 we have Billy Wilson, a player from the early days of the 49ers franchise.
Wilson was a local Bay Area kid and was drafted out of San Jose State in the 1950 NFL Draft. He played his whole career with the 49ers.
In that time he was selected to the Pro Bowl six times, and also earned one All-Pro selection.
He finished his career with 5,902 receiving yards, putting him at No. 5 on the 49ers' all-time list for receiving yards.
7. Freddie Solomon (1978 to 1985)
At No. 7 on this list we have to jump back to the Bill Walsh-era 49ers, for Freddie Solomon.
He actually began his career with the Miami Dolphins then joined the 49ers in 1978. He won two Super Bowls during his tenure with the 49ers. During his eight seasons with the 49ers, he amassed 4,873 receiving yards, putting him at No. 10 on the franchise's list.
An interesting point about Solomon is that he was actually the No. 1 read for quarterback Joe Montana on "The Catch," which ultimately went Dwight Clark's way.
Read more: Top 6 wide receiver duos in 49ers franchise history
Still, Solomon occupies a key spot in Niners lore and was a major contributor to San Francisco's first Super Bowl-winning team.
8. Dave Parks (1964 to 1967)
At No. 8, we have the first overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft for the 49ers, Dave Parks.
In his rookie season, Parks has 36 receptions, 703 yards and eight touchdowns. That was enough to him a Pro Bowl selection.
Although Parks only played for the 49ers for four seasons, they were prolific. He earned Pro Bowl selections in three out of those four. He earned an All-Pro selection in addition in his second season.
That second season of Park's was by far the best of his career. In it he had a whopping 80 receptions, 1,344 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns; all were league bests.
Parks finished his time on the 49ers with 3,334 yards receiving, putting him at No. 16 on their all-time list.
9. Deebo Samuel (2019 to current)
At No. 9, we have a current player on the 49ers roster, Deebo Samuel.
He was the Niners' second-round pick (36th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. After a decent rookie year in which he had 57 receptions and 802 yards receiving, his numbers though took a dip in his sophomore season due in large part to missing games to injury.
In 2021, however, he took a huge step forward. He would grab 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns. He also had a league-best 18.2 receiving yards per reception.
He would earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections for his performance in 2021.
Although he is still active in his NFL career, he has shown he's one of the most explosive wide receivers to play for the 49ers. The rest of his career will determine how high he gets on this list, but as of now, he deserves the nine spot.
10. Anquan Boldin (2013 to 2015)
How does that old saying go? "If you can't beat them, sign them." Well, that's exactly what the 49ers did after losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. They made a trade the following offseason for the Ravens' best receiver and No. 10 on our list, Anquan Boldin.
He went to work in his first game as a member of the 49ers to kick off the 2013 season. In that game, Boldin had a monster stat line of 13 receptions, 208 yards and one touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.
Although his time with the 49ers was short-lived and without any Pro Bowl or All-Pro accolades; he led the team in receiving yards in each of those seasons. He also helped the 49ers get to the 2013 NFC Championship game.
In those three seasons, Boldin totaled 3,030 yards, putting him a No. 18 on the all-time receiving yards list of the 49ers and landing him a spot on this list.
No. 11: Brandon Aiyuk (2020 to present)
Coming in at No. 11, we have the player who wears No. 11 on his jersey, Brandon Aiyuk. His performance in the 2023 season catapulted him into this section of the list.
In 2023, Aiyuk had 75 receptions, 1,342 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. His yardage total, which was his single-season career best also led the team.
Since there was a very competitive landscape for wide receivers in the 2023 season, Aiyuk did not earn a Pro Bowl selection. However, he did earn a second-team All-Pro selection for his performance in the season.
His career receiving yards total currently stands at 3,931 yards, which puts him at No. 16 on the all-time receiving yards list for the 49ers and could potentially be in the top 10 on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list by the end of 2024.
No. 12: R.C. Owens (1957 to 1961)
At No. 12 we have R.C. Owens. He was with the 49ers in the pre-Super Bowl days.
Owens was nicknamed Alley Oop as he and quarterback Y.A. Tittle came up with the "alley oop pass." The play involved Tittle throwing a jump ball in the end zone for Owens to go up and grab.
Owens would only play for five seasons with the 49ers. He finished his time with the 49ers with 2,926 yards receiving and a second-team All-Pro selection in 1960.
No.13: Michael Crabtree (2009 to 2014)
At No. 13 on the list, we jump back to the modern day with Michael Crabtree. After a tumultuous start to his pro career due to a contract holdout, the 2009 first-round selection for the 49ers finally made his debut in the sixth game of his rookie season.
After a modest first two seasons, Crabtree started to see an uptick in productivity when head coach Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2011.
2012 was Crabtree's best season. He had 85 receptions, 1,105 yards receiving and nine touchdowns that season. His yardage and touchdown totals were career single-season bests for him.
He finished his time with the 49ers after the 2014 season, after appearing in eight playoff games for the team and gaining 4,327 yards receiving. That total puts him at 12th on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list.
No. 14: J.J. Stokes (1995 to 2002)
At. No. 14 on the list, we have J.J. Stokes. While it's difficult enough to be stuck as a No. 2 behind one of the league's best players, Stokes was in an even more precarious spot. He was stuck behind two top players in the league during his time with San Francisco.
Being the No. 3 to Rice and Terrell Owens for most of his career couldn't have been easy, but Stokes still managed to put up decent numbers.
His best season was in 1998 when he had 63 receptions, 770 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.
He finished his time on the 49ers at 13th on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list with 4,139 yards.
No. 15: Brandon Lloyd (2003 to 2005, 2014)
This is the part of the list where things get a bit more subjective, as we've gone beyond some of the players with big-time stats, accolades and stacks of playoff wins.
That said, at No. 15 we have Brandon Lloyd who began his career with San Francisco. The 49ers selected Lloyd in the fourth round (124th overall pick) in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Lloyd spent his first three seasons with the 49ers, which were unfortunately some of the worst 49ers teams of this millennium. Although he never had a 1,000-plus-yard season, he became synonymous with amazingly athletic catches.
He also had several odds-defying one-handed grabs that essentially were akin to ones that wide receiverOdell Beckham Jr. would make almost a decade later.
Lloyd led the 49ers in 2005 with 733 receiving yards and five touchdowns. After playing for several different teams, he returned in 2014 to the 49ers for his final NFL season.
No. 16: Randy Moss (2012)
At No. 16, we have Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Although Moss' best seasons in the NFL were with other teams, he was still an impact player on the Niners in his singular season with the team.
In 2012, even though he had returned from retirement the season before to play this one last season, he still picked up 434 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
His presence on the team was helpful from a mentorship standpoint. Moss was able to help Crabtree get his first 1000-yard season, and also help the 49ers to their first Super Bowl Appearance in 18 years.
No. 17: Emmanuel Sanders (2019)
At No. 17, we have another player who only spent one season with the 49ers, not even a full one at that. Emmanuel Sanders only appeared in 10 games for San Francisco, as he came over via a midseason trade.
However, his impact on that season will always be remembered fondly by Niners fans. Sanders through those 10 games had 36 receptions, 502 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He also had one touchdown pass for the team.
He also was an integral part in the 49ers getting the to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season.
Although his time with the team was brief, we're glad that it happened.
No. 18: Isaac Bruce (2008 to 2009)
At No. 18, we have a long-time rival turned 49er, Isaac Bruce. He was a member of the then-St. Louis Rams for the first 14 years of his career before he joined the Niners for his final two seasons.
Bruce made it to this list more because of what he did before he ended up with the 49ers. However, his last two seasons were icing on the cake of a Hall of Fame career. In 2008 he led the team with 835 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Upon retirement, he was only the second player in NFL history (after Rice) to eclipse the 15,000 receiving yards mark.
No. 19: Bernie Casey (1961 to 1966)
At No. 19, we go to a player who straddled the line between the pre-Super Bowl era and the modern era, Bernie Casey.
He was the first-round selection (ninth overall) of the 49ers in the 1961 NFL Draft. He led the team in receiving yards multiple times in his career.
Casey finished his career with the 49ers with 4,008 receiving yards, which put him at 15th on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list.
No. 20: Jauan Jennings (2021 to present)
In the final spot on this list, we have a player who is still early on in his career with the 49ers, Jauan Jennings. Although it might be a bit early to include him on this list, he's proven to be an excellent play thus far.
He was drafted by the team in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft, but he didn't make his NFL debut until 2021. Since then he's been such a productive player at the most crucial times for San Francisco.
Jennings has already appeared in nine playoff games in his brief career. That includes a Super Bowl appearance in which he had four receptions, 42 yards receiving and a touchdown. In addition, he also threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey in that game and could have been the Super Bowl MVP, had the Niners won.
As we've seen, playing third fiddle to two amazing players is tough, but Jennings does an amazing job in the slot behind All-Pro talents, Samuel and Aiyuk.
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