2018 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers 7-round mock
By Conor Dorney
In need of more weapons on the outside for Jimmy Garoppolo, the Niners select former USC Trojan Deontay Burnett in the fourth round.
Burnett was the favorite target of potential top pick Sam Darnold last season, finishing the season with 86 receptions for 1,114 yards and nine touchdowns. Burnett is a shifty receiver with home run potential after the catch, something that would be a welcome addition to Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He has a great ability to find the sideline and playing at USC already gives him familiarity with running pro-style concepts and route trees.
He’s somewhat undersized for the position (6-foot-0 and 186 pounds) and could struggle at the next level against physical press coverage. Burnett is still developing as a route runner but if there’s one scheme that could see him flourish, it’s in a Kyle Shanahan offense.
The club recently locked up Marquise Goodwin but in a fairly strong class of wide receivers, I would expect them to spend one or two picks in this draft class. Trent Taylor in the slot, along with Marquise Goodwin and Deontay Burnett, could make for a nice position group to help the offense in Jimmy Garoppolo’s first full season as a starting quarterback in the NFL.