Wide Receivers
Michael Crabtree - B+
Unfortunately Crabs tore his achilles and will be out for most of the regular season. But last year he broke into top 10 WR territory, under the rocket arm of Colin Kapernick, though his chemistry with Alex Smith has improved over the years, Kap's arm helps Crabs make the most of his physical gifts, his big body and very solid hands. Crabs has improved his route running every year and though he doesn't have blazing speed, he is hard to bring down in open space and his long catch radius has him coming down with the ball. Also as a blocker dude is one of the best in the NFL, low key. Can't say much more than that here is to a speedy recovery.
Anquan Boldin - B
This man is a big part of why the Ravens won the SB against us. He is a tough wily veteran, he is a nasty blocker, he catches contested passes and is a consumate professional. Why the Ravens let him go for so little is beyond me, but something is better than nothing and a 6th rounder if chosen wisely adds depth, so I see the thinking. Anyway he is now our #1 receiver and I think he can do a good job of it. I expect him to get 800-900 yards but his blocking and mentorship to our young corps is invaluable,
Kyle Williams - C
Don't let the grade fool you. Kyle Williams is only a C because I can see him going either way as far as his career is concerned, Now entering his 4th year, and being essentially a #2 receiver since Crabs is out, and it could be a coming out party for him. I thought his snaps went under the radar before he got hurt, but this is why depth is so important. He is not the tallest receiver, but he is very speedy and hard to catch in open space. Let's see.
Mario Manningham - C-
I hope he gets better sometime in the regular season. He is the type of receiver that fills the gap and moves the chains. He is a good target for bubble screens and the like and is a veteran. We are thin at WR without him and he could end up getting cut should he not perform as expected.
AJ Jenkins - D+
I'm not a fan of this guy and I won't hide that. I'm beginning to think that he is smelling like a bust. We wasted a 1st round pick in this guy when there were better receivers out there. This was a 'cute' pick that may end up buried on the depth chart. I thought he made some impressive plays last preseason, but he doesn't seem to be grasping this offense and that alarms me. I wish him the best, but this season is a make or break for him.
Rickardo Lockette - C-
I think this dude could make his way to the 3 or 4 WR spot, tall, athletic and speedy. With the injury to Percy Harvin, I think the Hawks regret letting this dude leave, I think he has potential to be a contributor down the line or a special teams guy at worst.
Kassim Osgood - D
Dude could potentially line up in endzone situations but he hasn't done too much in his career and can't do too much for us now. He might be just a camp body,
Chad Hall - D+
He is just a camp body, but who knows. Apparently he had a good minicamp as well but there is a lot of competition for only a few available spots.
Quinton Patton - C-
We were high on this guy when we drafted him but camp has seemed to put him back down to earth. I expect this guy to make the practice squad. Having watched him a little in college, he is similar in build to Crabtree, but he is very raw and will take a couple of years of coaching up. That being said if done properly this can pay dividends. (Update) I hear he is doing well in practices and is seemingly on track to pass AJ Jenkins in the roster, to be our 4 or 5 WR rookie year could be impressive, we'll see.
Chuck Jacobs - D
This guy has sleerper written all over him. Apparently he had a good minicamp and will be one to watch during training camp. I actually think he may supplant Mario Manningham in time.
Martin Charly - F
This is a camp body most likely
Marlon Moore - D-
I think he is a camp body, but he seems to be a competitor and could surprise some people during the preseason.
Synopsis: With Crabtree out we will be running into this season with no true #1 WR. That being said we have a better QB this time around and I think depthwise we have a lot going for us. I will say this I would like to bring in some viable veterans, I wouldn't mind having Randy Moss, should he want to come back, I would also like to see us bring back Brandon LLoyd, the once talent malcontent receiver has now matured into a solid veteran receiver. But then again, Harbaugh like a lot of youth on the bench and we have it in spades, either way this is not as big a concern to me as it would be for some. We are still a run 1st team and Kap can toss it as good as anyone, we'll be ready.
