It probably won't be a big focal point for the 49ers this April, but landing a wide receiver in the NFL Draft is a bigger priority than you think.
Without stopping to think about it, most San Francisco 49ers fans would probably name the defensive line as the No. 1 position needing to be upgraded and reinforced in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Perhaps there'd be a few votes tossed in there for the offensive line, linebacker corps and maybe even the secondary.
Few would suggest wide receiver as a position group needing a lot of attention despite the fact the Niners traded away Deebo Samuel at the start of the league new year and may possibly be without fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk to kick off 2025 as he's still recovering from last season's torn ACL and MCL.
Yes, San Francisco has wide receiver holes. Significant ones.
Those holes are significant for a number of reasons, too, not just Aiyuk's potentially delayed return to the field. Tack on what's clearly a fractured relationship between him and the front office, and it's understandable why some feel it's simply better for both parties to move on sooner than later.
It gets deeper than that, though.
Aiyuk is a case study on one aspect of head coach Kyle Shanahan's system. The coach is typically harder on receivers than any other position, and the proverbial "doghouse" usually involves wideouts more than anyone else. Plus, learning Shanahan's complex offense takes time, and Aiyuk didn't exactly have a full command until 2022, two full years after being drafted in Round 1.
Even if Shanahan's offense was simple, the 49ers still have more questions than answers at wide receiver heading into the final stretch of draft season.
49ers' wide receiver depth chart is thin and lacks a pipeline
Here are the Niners' receivers currently rostered:
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Jauan Jennings
- Ricky Pearsall
- Demarcus Robinson
- Jacob Cowing
- Russell Gage
- Trent Taylor
- Terique Owens
- Isaiah Hodgins
Aiyuk's injury casts a cloud, and should he miss the start of 2025, more problems arise.
Jennings, who reached a career-best 975 yards last season, is a proven commodity who is entering a contract year. But, assuming he backs up last season's impressive campaign and cashes in on it elsewhere in 2026, San Francisco doesn't exactly have anyone to step up in his stead. Tack on Shanahan's tendency to bring wideouts along slowly, and it's an even deeper issue.
Pearsall flashed promise late in his rookie year, which is encouraging, while Robinson is a proven veteran.
That's fine. But, when team insiders are campaigning this offseason to promote Owens, the undrafted second-year pro whose only noteworthy claim to date is his Hall of Fame father's last name, it's not hard to see the deeper problems.
The 49ers need wide receivers, better ones than who they've got, currently.
The NFL Draft won't afford 49ers too many options
Recent NFL Draft classes have produced a quality line of top receiving prospects, the Niners using 2024 as a means to land Pearsall toward the end of Round 1.
Unfortunately, the 2025 draft isn't exactly known for being a wide receiver-heavy class. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein didn't dish out any Pro Bowl-caliber grades to receivers for 2025, although he did cite Nick Nash, Dominic Lovett and Dont'e Thornton Jr. as solid depth pieces who could be had on day three.
Sure, a deep crop of running backs and tight ends could help alleviate San Francisco's other needs on offense, coupled with a modestly decent group of offensive linemen, namely on the interior.
But, unless the 49ers are sold on a (likely) one-two tandem of Jennings and Pearsall to open up the year, should Aiyuk still be on the mend, the Niners would need to find someone who'd fill both short- and long-term needs.
Considering the lack of receiving talent and their other shortages, it'll be hard for San Francisco to do so.