The San Francisco 49ers made efforts to fortify their receiving corps in the 2019 NFL Draft by taking Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd. Unfortunately, Hurd was unable to find his footing after losing his rookie season to injury.
Regardless, expectations remains as high as ever in San Francisco coming off their Super Bowl run. According to David Lombardi of The Athletic, Hurd could be among the players that is utilized at multiple positions. Lombardi writes:
“Hurd will be a ‘big slot' receiver in Kyle Shanahan’s system capable of generating yards after the catch. Hurd will be asked to use his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame to block for the outside-zone run game. And if Hurd is truly 100 percent healthy, don’t be surprised if he also takes a few handoffs. This guy was originally an SEC power back at Tennessee.”
The plan for Hurd is part of head coach Kyle Shanahan's efforts to install a position-less offense:
“The 49ers are striving to approach a ‘position-less' dynamic on the offensive side of the ball. That’s why [George] Kittle frequently lines up as an outside receiver. That’s why fullback Kyle Juszczyk has experience at essentially every single skill position. That’s why receiver Deebo Samuel took so many handoffs in 2019.”
San Francisco's versatility served as a blueprint for success during their resurgence in the 2019 campaign. The onus will fall on Hurd to help make Shanahan's approach come to fruition in addition to players such as tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Hurd sat out the first three games of his rookie year before the 49ers finally decided to place him on Injured Reserve due to a stress fracture in his back. As a result, the question remains on whether or not he will be healthy enough to establish an integral role on offense.
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