49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t satisfied with the state of his team’s receiving corps. They added veteran Jordan Matthews in free agency, but Shanahan on Tuesday told reporters the team will add at least one other player at that position.
Matthews, a five-year veteran, struggled the last two seasons after putting together a very strong first three. He’ll be in the mix to land a roster spot, but his 45 catches, 582 yards and three touchdowns in 24 games the last two years don’t inspire a ton of confidence that he’ll be a difference maker in a receiving corps that needs a go-to target.
San Francisco’s receivers last season notched 152 of the team’s 331 receptions. Three of their top four pass catchers weren’t wide receivers. They also amassed just 1,990 of their 4,247 receiving yards, and 16 of their 26 receiving touchdowns.
Part of the larger issue for the 49ers last season was punching in touchdowns in the red zone. They owned a league-worst 41.2 percent touchdown rate when inside the 20 due in part to their lack of a go-to pass catcher on the perimeter.
This season the team has Dante Pettis, Kendrick Bourne, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor and Richie James returning. Subtracting Pierre Garçon, who the 49ers chose not to exercise a club option on, and adding Matthews isn’t likely to be enough to take the pressure off the non-receiver playmakers in their offense.
How the 49ers address the receiver position in the draft could set the tone for the offense in 2019. They could go to that spot early and grab the best available receiver with the No. 36 pick, or trade up to the back end of the first round for a player who might’ve fallen down the board.
They could also wait until Round 3 if there’s a player they believe can make an impact in his rookie season. There is some danger in letting the draft wear on and hoping a player comes available late on Day 2.
It all depends on what Shanahan believes the receiving corps needs. They can probably wait if he wants a player to simply compete for a roster spot. On the other hand, if they want a top-end pass catcher, they’ll have to be more aggressive with it early in the draft.
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