The 49ers’ need at wide receiver grew throughout the 2018 season as that position group struggled to produce. With a shallow free agency class, San Francisco is likely to take advantage of what’s perceived to be a deep group of wide receivers in the 2019 draft. They’ve met with at least five receivers through the first four days of the NFL combine according to reports.
The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman reported that San Francisco met with Georgia’s Riley Ridley, Mississippi’s AJ Brown, South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel and Massachusetts’ Andy Isabella.
Every player in that group fits the typical receiver mold Kyle Shanahan looks for. They all vary in size and athleticism because the 49ers’ head coach prefers technical route-running and separation ability over sheer size and athleticism.
However, they did meet with one receiver who does have incredible size. Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports noted that Mississippi’s DK Metcalf met with the 49ers as well.
Metcalf took social media by storm with his physique in workout photos prior to the combine. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted during the measurement portion of the combine that Metcalf checked in at 6-3, 228 pounds with an astonishing 1.6 percent body fat.
A neck injury limited the hulking receiver in his final year, but he’ll be one of the first receivers to go if his medicals all check out in Indianapolis and in pre-draft meetings.
Chances are the 49ers won’t get a chance to draft Metcalf, but any of the other four receivers could very easily slide to them with the No. 36 overall pick.
It says a lot about the team’s draft plans that they’re spending so much time with the draft’s top receivers. They know they’ll need to find a talented player to buoy the passing game, and doing that will likely mean using an early-round pick at the position.
San Francisco calling one of these five receivers’ names on either Day 2 or late in Day 1 of the draft would not be a huge surprise.
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