Niners Nation
Who could be good fits at wide receiver in free agency for the 49ers?
When it comes to the San Francisco 49ers, wide receiver is the most buzzing topic at the moment, namely the recent trade request of former All-Pro Deebo Samuel, which was publicized on Super Bowl Sunday.
Samuel, drafted by the 49ers in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, has been a staple in Kyle Shanahan’s offense since his arrival in the Bay Area, but his production has waned over the past few seasons, reaching some career-lows in 2024.
The 49ers seemingly prepared for a parting with Samuel this offseason, having extended Brandon Aiyuk on a major four-year, $120 million deal and drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft last offseason.
However, as San Francisco navigates what a post-Samuel era may look like, the wide receiver position could still be of significant prevalence this offseason. Aiyuk is still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL sustained in October. Pearsall is entering his first true offseason with the team. And Jauan Jennings is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2025 season.
With Aiyuk’s uncertainty, the 49ers could look to target wide receivers in free agency this offseason, be it via the draft, free agency, or both. But, as they attempt to allocate their resources efficiently, San Francisco may need to find more budget-friendly options to fill out their roster for the position.
So, who are five veteran receivers that the 49ers could target in free agency?
Playing in 15 games this season for the Los Angeles Chargers, Josh Palmer caught 39 passes for 584 yards and one touchdown as a vertical threat in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s offense.
A bigger-bodied 6’1, 210-pound wideout, Palmer is entering his age-26 season and is coming off his third straight season of at least 500 yards. He was used almost exclusively as a deep threat this season, as his average depth of target was over 15 yards, making him a solid short-term fit in the Brandon Aiyuk role.
Still young, Palmer should be on the cheaper side and has an upside role in San Francisco as an outside receiver.
Perhaps the most expensive receiver on this list, Slayton has spent the first six seasons of his career with the New York Giants and is coming off a year where he caught 39 passes for 573 yards and two touchdowns.
Playing with sub-optimal quarterback play for essentially his entire New York tenure, Slayton has never eclipsed 800 yards in a season, but has also been almost exclusively a deep threat, averaging 15 yards per catch in his career.
He’s wrapping up a two-year, $12 million extension with the Giants and may price himself out of San Francisco’s budget at wide receiver. But, he’d fit what they’d need on the outside and is still relatively young entering his age-28 season.
An eight-year NFL veteran, Jones is on...
