2017 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers 7-round mock
Zay Jones
Wide Receiver, East Carolina
Zay Jones should emerge as a very good number two or three receiver in the NFL if he falls into the right situation. The 49ers and the Shanahan offense are without question one of those situations. Jones should emerge as a day one contributor on a team desperate for receiver depth.
He can line up all over the field and make plays. On an offense which features Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, this has a ton of value. He’s the all-time FBS receptions leader and can catch just about anything you throw to him. The 49ers value high character players and Jones is definitely a high character guy.
Sure, he has some issues with his speed. But it doesn’t change that he makes plays and runs routes better than most receivers. Having Goodwin on the field should open things up for Jones to find weak spots in the coverage. Ironically, he reminds a lot of people of Garcon. But his skill set is a very nice one to have. Just like Garcon, Jones is reliable and wins a lot of battles despite less than ideal speed. The 49ers have done a lot to upgrade their offense so far this offseason. Adding Jones would be another huge addition.