2. Trent Taylor, WR
A fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft by the Niners, Trent Taylor showed early signs of developing into a real weapon in the 49ers offense throughout his rookie campaign. While he topped 50 yards in a game just once throughout the season, he was a consistent presence when called upon, catching over 71 percent of his targets and finishing the year with 430 yards receiving.
Following that rookie season and with Jimmy Garoppolo hoping to get a full season at the helm, Taylor would’ve been a player that many circled as a potential breakout candidate for the 2018 season. Instead, Taylor had to deal with a back injury in the preseason and early in the regular season, thus never allowing him to find his footing — especially with Garoppolo going down to injury.
Now it appears that Taylor is back to 100 percent healthy and could play a big role in the 49ers passing offense. While there are certainly more weapons in the Niners receiving corps than there once were, Taylor’s ability to perform out of the slot makes him valuable. That’s only furthered by the fact that famed slot receiver Wes Welker is now coaching him at the position.
With the right coaching from Welker in addition to his health and the general offensive brilliance of Kyle Shanahan, Taylor should not just be back in 2019 but should be better and more productive than he was in his rookie campaign.