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The San Francisco 49ers enter the final quarter of the season looking to see what Jimmy Garoppolo can do for their offense, and how it might impact some of their other draft needs. Quarterback would seemingly be off the board for the first round, but plenty of other options remain.
The wide receiver position has not shown up much in 49ers mock drafts, but CBS Sports analyst Chris Trapasso suggested Southern Methodist wide receiver Chris Trapasso Courtland Sutton in his latest 2018 NFL mock draft. He had the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants selecting quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Rosen, respectively, and then had this to say about Sutton to the 49ers.
Get used to this pairing, as Kyle Shanahan has coordinated offenses that featured Andre Johnson and Julio Jones in the past. Sutton may not be as tremendous of a prospect as either of those two, but he's close. Sutton is a productive size, speed, and athleticism specimen.
Sutton has put up some ridiculous numbers the past two seasons. This season he has 62 receptions for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season, he had 76 receptions for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns. SMU lists him at 6’4, 216 pounds. That’s some serious size, even if it is exaggerated on the school website.
The question is whether the 49ers are in a position where they should be taking a wide receiver in the first round. They could use more weapons for Jimmy Garoppolo, but wide receiver sometimes feels like more of a luxury need in the first round. If they think he can be their Julio Jones, then for sure, make that kind of pick. But given the uncertainty that seems to come with college wide receivers, I am inclined to consider other areas of need for the 49ers.
Heading into next year, the 49ers wide receiver depth chart could include Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, Aldrick Robinson, Kendrick Bourne, and Victor Bolden. That’s certainly not the best group in the NFL, but it’s moderately intriguing to me. Goodwin is having a career year, and adding Garçon back in the mix gives this group a solid foundation for 2018. I do think they’ll need a long term No. 1 option, but with the players in place and the questions elsewhere, it seems like it could be something they wait on for the time being.