It’s been well documented at this point in the season, that the San Francisco 49ers (1-13) are lacking at the game’s most important position. While Colin Kaepernick has been serviceable at times, few would argue that he, or anyone else on the 49ers roster, is a realistic long-term option at quarterback.
You don’t lose 13 straight by being weak at one position, however, even when it’s the signal caller. NFL Films guru Greg Cosell joined Tolbert and Lund on Tuesday afternoon, and said that the 49ers are also lacking in the next three most important positions on an NFL roster.
“You need receivers, you need a pass rusher and you need corners in today’s NFL,” Cosell said regarding the three most important positions aside from QB. “I think those would be viewed as premium positions in today’s NFL. Can you get by without having three Julio Jones’s? Of course you can, but you need dimensions on offense, and receivers are usually the ones that give you dimensions. So you need receivers, you need pass rushers and you need corners, and I think if you look at the Niners, you’d probably say they’re lacking in those three premium position areas.
The 49ers leading receiver currently is Jeremy Kerley, who was acquired late in the preseason, and who has caught just 53 passes for 544 yards. The 49ers leading pass rushers DeForest Buckner and Ahmad Brooks have five sacks a piece. Jimmy Ward is San Francisco’s only corner with an interception in 2016.
Cosell believes aside from quarterback, the 49ers weakest position is wide receiver.
“Well they need wide receivers,” Cosell said. “I think that’s a bad position, if you’re putting the quarterback aside. Think of it this way: I think in the way the league is now, there’s many ways to win. There’s not one way to win okay, but I think most people in today’s NFL would say it’s hard to compete without some explosiveness at wide receiver. Now you could argue that the Patriots don’t have it but they have arguably the best quarterback in football.”
Listen to the full interview below.
