The 49ers don’t need to pick a wide receiver in the draft. With more pressing concerns elsewhere on the roster, it may even be prudent to elect not to invest in a player from a wideout class that most agree is underwhelming compared to previous years.
But Kyle Shanahan has only once been able to resist taking a wideout during his time as 49ers head coach. Since Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took the reins in 2017, the Niners have selected eight wide receivers, with 2021 the sole year in which they did not take one.