The San Francisco 49ers overhauled their wide receiver depth chart this offseason, and one of the intriguing additions is Marquise Goodwin. He was not overly productive in his four years in Buffalo, finishing with 49 receptions for 780 yards and six touchdowns. However, he brings Olympic-level speed, and if you can bring at least one plus-plus attribute, that’s certainly something to build on.
Back in 2013, the 49ers needed some wide receiver help. A.J. Jenkins was proving to be a bust, and other than Michael Crabtree, the 49ers had relied on veterans like Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. They eventually took Quinton Patton in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft, but there were plenty of wide receivers to consider. One was Marquise Goodwin.
Back in February 2013, we actually took a look at Goodwin in a pre-Combine scouting report. Trevor Woods broke down his game, and it was a lot of what you’d expect for a guy that still has a reputation for great speed, but question marks in the rest of his game. The cons listed included a lack of polish, questions about his route-running, and concerns about size and frame.
Here is what Trevor had to say about how he might and might not fit with the 49ers
Why He Might Fit The 49ers:
The 49ers might benefit from having a freakish speed guy on the roster that can return kicks and punts. He's not exactly polished as a receiver, but holy speed Batman, this guy can fly. I know the 49ers aren't the Al Davis Raiders, but this guy has the potential to make a lot of NFL players look very foolish. If you make a mistake on Goodwin, you will NOT be able to catch up. If Goodwin becomes a 49er, he also becomes hands down the fastest receiver on the team. Is that enough to warrant a selection? We'll see.
Why He Might Not Fit The 49ers:
Last year we dealt with a draft selection going through a learning curve, as A.J. Jenkins struggled to make an impact. I'm not sure if the 49ers will want to have another project on their hands. I remember in the Alamo Bowl, Goodwin ran a perfect route, was wide open in the end zone and dropped the for sure touchdown. Mistakes like that might happen all too often early on for Goodwin. If the 49ers are going to take on a project I doubt it will be in Round 3. That's where I project him to go right now, but teams fall in love with speed and that could boost his stock to Round 2.
Goodwin is optimistic about his opportunity in Santa Clara. He said he is getting a chance to run a lot more types of routes than he did in his time with Buffalo. It remains to be seen if he’ll take advantage of the opportunity, but getting a chance with Kyle Shanahan’s creativity certainly offers some reason for his optimism.
Pierre Garçon is likely going to be the No. 1 receiver, while Jeremy Kerley is probably the starting slot guy in Week 1. Goodwin has a chance to be the guy who stretches the defense, but it seems likely he will get some additional opportunities to cause havoc against opposing defenses.
You can re-read the full scouting report here.