The 49ers going into the offseason didn’t anticipate needing to replace wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who requested a trade after contract extension talks soured. Now as that saga plays out the club finds itself in a spot where it may need to replace a First-Team All-Pro. The scramble to figure out how the team might replace Samuel though underscored a hole on their roster at WR.
It’s a no-brainer the 49ers will need to draft a WR if if Samuel is dealt. It doesn’t need to be an attempted one-for-one replacement for his skill set, but they’ll need to bring in a player they think can produce at a high level early. However, San Francisco should still aim to pick a receiver in this year’s draft even if Samuel sticks around.
Their depth chart starts with Samuel, followed by Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. After that the depth isn’t great. Ray-Ray McCloud could have a role, but he’s not a go-to pass catcher. Malik Turner and Marcus Johnson have never had big-time roles in their NFL careers. The same goes for KeeSean Johnson, Austin Mac or Connor Wedington.
Jennings might be fine as the No. 3 receiver, but it’d be hard to blame the 49ers if they wanted to find a player to at least compete with him for that spot this year.
Prioritizing the WR position this year is doing so with the future in mind as well. If Samuel gets extended, it’s hard to envision Aiyuk also getting the lofty extension he’ll be seeking after the 2022 campaign. If he’s ultimately traded, it would leave the cupboard relatively bare at an important position.
If they can select a receiver in 2022 that can contribute right away while also pushing for the No. 2 WR job in future years, they should do so even if it means pushing some of their other needs down to later rounds.
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