Insider: 49ers are changing the way teams approach drafting receivers

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is known as an offensive innovator and his offensive philosophy just may be changing the way other teams build their rosters.

According to ESPN draft expert Matt Miller, many teams around the NFL have taken note of the size and physicality of the 49ers wideouts, which may start to become a new trend across the league.

“I've heard a lot from NFL scouts about how teams are shifting their strategies at wide receiver to mirror the San Francisco 49ers' philosophy on drafting physical pass-catchers,” Miller noted. “South Carolina's Xavier Legette…fits that mold perfectly at 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds. Another player to watch? Washington's Rome Odunze at 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds. Legette is a big riser this season with a Round 3 grade on my board, but Odunze is a legitimate first-round candidate.”

Shanahan has seemingly built his stable of receivers around 2019 second-round pick Deebo Samuel, who at 6-foot, 215 pounds, is the biggest-bodied WR on San Francisco’s roster. Samuel plays like a running back in a receiver’s body with the physicality of a tight end.

Samuel leads all WRs with eight missed tackles forced and his 7.9 yards after contact per reception is the second-most among receivers with 25 or more targets, per Pro Football Focus.