Getty Could Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have a new 49ers teammate post draft?
This may come off as a situation where the San Francisco 49ers have one eye open on one Pro Bowl wide receiver but the other on older, more decorated veteran options.
As the 49ers continue to deal with the pending future of Deebo Samuel, there are other receiver names who could fit inside the S.F. wideouts room — notably past Kyle Shanahan 1,000-yard target and perennial Pro Bowler Julio Jones.
But there’s a new name that surfaced as a post draft possibility from one NFL analyst on Wednesday, May 11.
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Option is a Free Agent & Past 5x Pro Bowl Talent
Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report calls this five-time Pro Bowl target one of the potential post draft options for the ‘Niners in his column: Jarvis Landry.
“San Francisco needs to pay attention to the wide receiver market in case Deebo Samuel gets traded before the start of the season,” Tansey wrote in his beginning sentence on why Landry could be a fit. “The 49ers’ most likely compensation for Samuel would be draft picks, so they would need to find an upper-echelon wide receiver to replace him. Jarvis Landry experienced an injury-plagued 2021 season, but he has been healthy for most of his career.”
Landry, who played in five consecutive Pro Bowls with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns from 2015 to 2019, is still without an NFL home for the 2022 season. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound Landry is currently 29 and has produced three 1,000-yard seasons plus two 100-catch campaigns in his eight seasons in the NFL per Pro Football Reference.
“Landry is one of three notable wide receivers still without a home. Odell Beckham Jr. (Los Angeles Rams free agent) may not make sense because he is coming off an ACL tear. Julio Jones may not get a look since he is four years older than Beckham and Landry,” Tansey said.
Why Landry is Called an Option
The 49ers avoided trading away Samuel during the NFL Draft amid the reports of the New York Jets and Detroit Lions attempting to lure in the 2021 All-Pro.
The team also took Danny Gray from Southern Methodist with the final selection on day two of the NFL Draft — who brings a 40-yard dash time of 4.3 into the 49er offense.
No days off for Niners rookie WR Danny Gray. Kyle Shanahan is gonna have fun using Danny’s 4.3 speed to take the top off of opposing defenses 💨
🎥: agentq_22 | IG | #49ers
But why does Tansey believe Landry could fit into the 49er offense?
“San Francisco needs a possession-based receiver to complement all of the speed it has on the outside, led by Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings,” Tansey wrote. “Aiyuk and Jennings would be the top two players on the depth chart if Samuel was moved, but there is not much below them in terms of quality. Landry recorded at least 80 receptions in his first six seasons. He had 72 catches in 2021, and he made 52 catches despite playing in just 12 games in 2022.”
And if Samuel gets resigned between now and training camp, does it mean the 49ers won’t consider bringing in Landry? Even if it means trying to get him at a lesser value than the $75.5 million contract with the $15.1 million in average salary that he once received from the Browns?
“The 49ers may need Landry even if Samuel returns for the 2022 season because of how much they used their top target last season,” Tansey said. “The 49ers have a fight on their hands if they are interested in Landry since the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and a few others could use his services.”