For the 49ers, taking the offense to the next level in 2018 means improving in the red zone.
San Francisco ranked 27th in red-zone efficiency last season scoring touchdowns on 47 percent of their trips, which means finding ways to turn field goals into six points should be a priority for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch this spring.
The 49ers last offseason addressed their most pressing roster deficiencies in free agency before trying to find the best players available in the NFL draft. It remains to be seen if that will be the directive this offseason now that Jimmy Garoppolo seemingly changed the direction of the franchise.
Garoppolo, for now, has a receiving corps with some upside. Pierre Garçon was on his way to a 1,000-yard season before a small fracture in his neck ended his campaign Week 8. And that was with Brian Hoyer and C.J. Beathard under center.
Marquise Goodwin nearly had 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and racked up more yardage than his first four seasons in Buffalo combined. Rookie fifth-round pick Trent Taylor appears to have the makings of a reliable slot option who excelled with Garoppolo on third down.
But the team lacks a young receiving threat with size that can make contested catches in traffic. That’s among the reasons why Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report tapped SMU wideout Courtland Sutton to the 49ers at pick No. 9 in his latest mock draft posted this week.
John Lynch crashed an armored truck full of $100 bills into Garoppolo’s garage this year because the 49ers are building for a 2019-2020 Super Bowl window. The upcoming season will be all about building infrastructure, developing talent and pre-paying for future success.
With that in mind, the 49ers will pluck a solid running back committee from the middle rounds of a deep draft and spend the 2018 season developing Sutton, a 6’4″ prototype with iffy hands but an almost limitless upside. Kyle Shanahan will live with some growing pains to get a receiver with Julio Jones capabilities in the near future.
(Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Sutton (6-4, 218) could be the first receiver selected come April. But questions remain about his ability to create separation, which is one of the most important traits Shanahan looks for in receivers – and why the 49ers were willing to have one of shortest receiving corps in the NFL heading into last season.
Adding Sutton would be a wise move if Shanahan sees a Julio Jones-like career for the SMU star. But Sutton will have to run well at scouting combine later this month to help cement his first-round draft status. Otherwise, the 49ers might be inclined to draft a defensive player or offensive lineman with their first pick and address skill positions later.
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