It’s not even August, but the San Francisco 49ers have already been hit by the injury bug. Renardo Green went down with a hamstring injury after his best offseason practice, leading the Niners to sign Eli Apple in response. Heading into training camp, the 49ers were without wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall. While Pearsall is back on the field, Aiyuk is not expected to return until at least October.
In addition to Green, the team’s current top receiver, Jauan Jennings, also went down with a calf issue. While it’s early in the season, Jennings suffered a calf injury in the offseason program as well. If Jennings’ calf ends up being a nagging problem, the 49ers may be in serious trouble.
49ers Wide Receiver Depth
It’s not that bold a take to say the 49ers’ weakest position is at wide receiver. After trading Deebo Samuel this offseason, the team’s expected top wideouts are Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Demarcus Robinson. Jennings is coming off the best season of his career, in which he put up 975 yards and six touchdowns on 77 receptions. Robinson has been a depth receiver in the NFL for the entirety of his 9-year career. Pearsall had a mediocre rookie season last year, where he caught 31 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. In his defense, he was recovering from being shot in the offseason, missed seven games, and was a rookie after all. Pearsall also closed out the season strong with 210 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets.
Outside of those top three, the Niners’ wide receiver room is mainly made up of depth pieces and young, unproven wide receivers. The younger pieces include Jacob Cowing and rookies Jordan Watkins, Isaiah Neyer, and Junior Bergen. Meanwhile, the depth consists of Russell Gage, Isaiah Hodgins, and Equanimeous St. Brown.
The 49ers are banking on Pearsall to take a massive jump this season. They will also need one of the youngsters to emerge as a legit threat. Luckily, the team has elite receiving threats at other positions with George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Still, this position group needs help.
Available Free Agents
The best available player at the position is Keenan Allen. The 12-year veteran is coming off a down year with the Bears, which is why he is still on the market. Still, he’s only one year removed from a 1,243-yard, seven-touchdown season. If the 49ers brought him in, he would immediately be one of their top options. Plus, throughout his NFL career, he’s been one of the very best route runners. At the very least, he could be a veteran presence for an unproven wide receiver room.
After back-to-back solid seasons in Buffalo, Gabe Davis signed a 3-year $39 million contract with the Jags. They cut him just a year into his deal. Davis recently spoke on Up & Adams about his interest in signing with San Francisco. He would likely step in to compete for a starting role, and very well could be the best deep threat on the team.
Other available pass catchers include Amari Cooper, Tyler Boyd, and Nelson Agholor.
Trade for Terry McLaurin
In regard to potential trades, Scary Terry is the only WR1 that figures to be available. McLaurin is coming off the best season of his career, which saw him put up 13 touchdowns. The Commanders and he have been unable to reach a deal as McLaurin wants to be paid north of $33 million per year.
If the Niners want a true star at the position, they should go after Terry. The problem is that the stud wide out will cost both draft capital, and then the franchise would have to pay him a pretty penny. While he’d be a huge addition, it doesn’t seem likely that the 49ers want to go this route.
Best Course of Action
Without Jennings on the field, San Francisco’s wide receiver group ranks among the worst in the league. Maybe some guys will emerge, but it’s a massive question mark nonetheless. The best thing the Niners can do is bring another legitimate veteran option, whether that’s Keenan Allen or Gabe Davis. If they opt to roll out their current crew, this team could have separation issues like last year. Brock Purdy is going to need more help; there’s just no way around it.
