Veteran Marqise Lee joins the 49ers’ fierce wide receiver competition. Can he stick?
Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk might form the best young receiver combination the 49ers have had in years. But beyond those two, the depth chart is loaded with question marks. It should make for a compelling battle this summer throughout training camp and the preseason.
A new name was added to the mix this week: former Jaguars 2014 second-round draft pick Marqise Lee, who impressed San Francisco’s coaching staff and personnel department during a tryout over the weekend enough to land a one-year contract Monday.
Lee, who will turn 30 in November, opted out of the 2020 pandemic season after being released by Jacksonville in April of 2020. He was coming off a disappointing campaign in 2019 in which he appeared in six games and made just three catches. He suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery, just over a year after tearing his ACL during a preseason game that kept him from playing in 2018.
The four years prior, Lee made 171 catches for 2,166 yards with eight touchdowns. His best season came in 2016 with 63 receptions for 851 yards and three touchdowns while playing with quarterback Blake Bortles. It was enough to land a four-year, $38 million contract with the Jaguars months before his knee injury. The deal included $16.5 million in guarantees, but the injuries prevented him from building on the promising start to his career.
So what are Lee’s chances at making the 49ers’ Week 1 roster come September?
Will Marqise Lee be the 49ers’ No. 3?
They are likely similar to other veterans competing to land roles behind Aiyuk and Samuel. Travis Benjamin is expected to return to San Francisco after opting out last season when he signed a one-year contract in the spring of 2020. Mohamed Sanu is back after a cup of coffee early last season while the team was dealing with injuries and depth concerns. He was released midway through the year after a previous ankle injury appeared to take away his speed.
Other players Lee will be competing with include 2019 third-round pick Jalen Hurd, 2020 seventh-round pick Jauan Jennings and undrafted rookie Austin Watkins, none of whom have played an NFL snap. Incumbent return man and slot receiver Richie James will be in the mix, as will River Cracraft, special teams standout Trent Sherfield and Kevin White, the 2016 first-round pick of the Bears who spent most of last season on the 49ers’ practice squad.
More simply put, behind Samuel and Aiyuk, there are 10 receivers competing for four spots if the 49ers keep six, as they typically have since coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017. Lee should have as good as shot as any to make the cut.
To be sure, Lee’s resume should give him an advantage over the less proven options. He appears healthy and in good shape some 19 months after his shoulder ailment and nearly three years since his torn ACL.
Lee was easily the most impressive pass-catcher during the weekend’s rookie minicamp in which quarterback Trey Lance was making his practice debut (admittedly, that’s not saying a whole lot given the nature of rookie minicamp). The two connected on arguably Lance’s most impressive completion of last Friday’s session, hauling in a pass between two defenders in the middle of the field during a seven-on-seven drill. Reporters were not allowed to attend the following two practices before Lee’s contract became official Monday.
How will Lee be used?
The 49ers expect Lee to play the “X” and “Z” receiver positions on the outside, though he’s not an easy fit to play the “F” role in the slot. That was often where Kendrick Bourne played the last four seasons before signing with the Patriots during the start of free agency in March. The 49ers haven’t found a clear-cut option to replace Bourne, though perhaps Hurd, Benjamin, Jennings and/or James can offer answers. One of San Francisco’s former slot options, Trent Taylor, signed with the Bengals this week.
In terms of pedigree, Lee, the No. 39 pick in 2014, is the most highly drafted receiver competing behind Aiyuk and Samuel, who were first- and second-round picks, respectively. Lee at the scouting combine ranked in the 80th, 86th and 92nd percentile in the vertical jump, broad jump and 20-yard shuttle, respectively, among receivers. At 6-foot and 192 pounds, his 4.52 in the 40-yard dash ranked in the 45th percentile.
What the 49ers have in Lee is a veteran trying to resuscitate his career. He might be the most talented option on the roster behind the incumbent starters. If he stays healthy and picks up the nuances of the offense under position coach Wes Welker, Lee has a reasonable shot at becoming San Francisco’s third or fourth receiver who could spell Aiyuk or Samuel in case of injury.
Would Lee prevent the 49ers from making another addition at receiver? Someone like, say, Julio Jones, or another prominent name at the trade deadline come October?
No. Lee seems to be a low-cost insurance policy with the upside to become a valuable contributor in a bit role. Overall, he seems like a reasonable addition to make this time of year, particularly with so many question marks at the position beyond the top two spots on the depth chart.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 7:11 AM.
