The San Francisco 49ers overhauled their wide receiver position this offseason, adding a host of veterans and rookies to the mix. The team signed Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin, and Aldrick Robinson, to go along with a contract extension for Jeremy Kerley. They then added Trent Taylor in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Taylor is not a big guy, standing 5’8, 181 pounds, but he has great hands and gets high marks for his toughness. It’s not surprising that a small, white receiver with great hands gets the Wes Welker comparison on a regular basis. That being said, 49ers GM John Lynch is already excited about what Taylor has shown thus far.
Lynch was asked about the team’s receivers during his KNBR interview on Tuesday, and specifically asked who was standing out. Garçon is the most prominent of the group, but they will need production further down the depth chart to find success on offense. Lynch said Taylor is turning exactly as they expected. He hasn’t played a down of NFL football, but it sounds like he put together a strong offseason workout program.
“Trent Taylor is exactly what we thought he’d be. He’s a guy who can flat out separate. You need guys, when it comes to any down, but especially on third downs, you need those guys that can just go get open. And he’s a guy who we saw on film that had an ability to do that against just about anyone. And then, he’s carried that over to practice out here. He’s been fun to watch.”
Lynch also mentioned Marquise Goodwin as someone who has stood out.
“Marquise Goodwin, I think one thing I saw when I studied Kyle Shanahan running offenses in Atlanta, he probably knew how to use speed more so than any offensive coordinator in this league. And I’m really excited to see Marquise, a guy who clearly has that, be utilized in Kyle’s system.”
Goodwin has world class speed, but was never able to emerge as a consistent threat in Buffalo. Injuries were an issue at times, but he never seemed to fit into what they were doing on offense. Kyle Shanahan is a great offensive mind, and Goodwin could be one of the more intriguing weapons as we see how this offense develops.
Finally, even though this was about players aside from Pierre Garçon, Lynch offered praise for the veteran receiver.
“And Pierre, I think he just brings a toughness, a professionalism. He’s the guy who’s going to go out, you expect to have six-to-eight grabs a game. And he’ll do it and do it at a high level. We still feel like he’s got a lot left in the tank. But that is going to be a competitive position. And one we need to be better at, and one we think we have improved a great deal.”
The 49ers are making wholesale changes on offense, and a potentially steady presence like Garçon is critical to seeing some improvement on offense.