Draft Additions Can Only Help Improve Average San Francisco 49ers Offense
There’s going to be no shortage of playmakers for Jimmy Garoppolo to rely on. The San Francisco 49ers addressed the offense at the NFL Draft by adding WR’s Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd. General Manager, John Lynch, wants San Fran to be among the league’s leaders in yardage and points per game. With two new skilled playmakers, there’s a lot of optimism the 49ers can do just that.
Garoppolo sat out almost all of the 49ers 2018 season. He only played three games before succumbing to injury. Only going 1-2, Jimmy G. threw for 718 yards and 5 touchdowns. When on the field, the WR position seemed to be a weak point.
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have a true number 1 wideout in 2018. They relied heavily on second-year Tight End, George Kittle. Pierre Garcon was the main target on paper, although he was far from a serviceable top option. In addition, he only played eight games due to injury.
With the 49ers using QB’s, Nick Mullens (2,277 yards, 13 TD’s) and C.J. Beathard ( 1252 yards, 8 TD’s), the team lacked a true franchise QB. Perhaps that led to some of the issues plaguing them in 2018. Still, despite a lack of a true superstar, the San Fransisco 49ers managed to get by with their average WR core.
While Kittle was the main attraction, there were some other 49ers who picked up the slack. Dante Pettis flashed some of his 2nd round skill. Marquise Goodwin and Kendrick Bourne also contributed to the passing game. With Garoppolo back into the mix, the 49ers WR’s finally have a franchise QB to throw them the ball.
Even with Beathard and Mullens, San Fran sat middle of the pack in total receiving yards last season. To have Garoppolo back is a huge boost to the team. With the addition of Samuel and Hurd, the WR core just got a bit stronger.
Samuel has the potential to be the 49ers best WR. The 5’11 speedster from South Carolina has a lot of the attributes Kyle Shanahan desires in a wideout. He’s fast, meaning he can play in the uptempo offense. His height might be a bit of concern. The Hurd pick more than makes up for it.
Jalen Hurd, a converted Running Back, has the size of an NFL WR. He stands 6’4, making him the complete opposite of Samuel. Hurd is considered a slot guy, but the 49ers will likely use him outside. There’s a lot of upsides. That’s exactly the kind of risk John Lynch will take.
Lynch has made it a focus to improve the offensive side of the ball. In 2018, he drafted a WR in the 2nd round (Pettis). This year, he did the same taking Samuel (2nd round), and adding Hurd in the 3rd. There’s a commitment by Lynch to turn the San Francisco 49ers a prolific offensive threat in the NFL. He’s taken the right steps to that goal.
Image Source: Tony Avelar / Associated Press
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
