The San Francisco 49ers have been hit hard by the injury bug throughout the season. From the jump, they had defending Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey put on the shelf due to an Achilles injury. Now, the wide receiver room has seen massive dents put into it. Deebo Samuel was limited and later hospitalized (since released) with fluid in his lungs due to a pneumonia-like illness, while Jauan Jennings missed Week 7 due to a hip injury. The biggest, however, came with star wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who is lost for the year following a torn ACL and MCL in his knee.
Even with the likely return of Samuel and Jennings in the near future, the wide receiver unit for San Francisco could use a jolt, which could come via the NFL trade deadline. The team has until Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET to scour the league in hopes of deepening the unit as it looks to remain in Super Bowl contention.
Already, the league has seen several notable receivers change teams, like DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams and Amari Cooper. While Cooper Kupp is the biggest name reportedly on the market, it seems unlikely Los Angeles would trade its former Super Bowl MVP within the division. That said, there are still some interesting trade candidates that could be in play for San Francisco. If the 49ers were to pick up the phone and try to deal, here are some ideal targets leading up to the deadline.
Outside of Kupp, Diontae Johnson may be the most talented receiver who is speculated to be available at the deadline. This past week, the Panthers pass catcher expressed his frustration amid Carolina's struggles this season, which may be giving us our first inkling that a departure is looming. The 28-year-old has been able to take on a high volume of targets throughout his career, seeing over 140 targets three times during his first five seasons (all with Pittsburgh). He's also slated to be a free agent at the end of this season, so the Niners wouldn't be committing too much to Johnson long term (just signed Aiyuk to an extension this offseason) and likely wouldn't cost too much because of that status.
Kendrick Bourne is a familiar face to the Niners as the receiver played his first four seasons in the league with San Francisco before signing with New England in free agency in 2021. While never playing alongside Brock Purdy, Bourne does have familiarity with Kyle Shanahan's offense, so he may be best equipped to come in and pick up the offense quickly. The 29-year-old was recently activated off of injured reserve after tearing his ACL last season, so there may be a ramping-up period in terms of his health, but when he's at full strength, he's been a dynamic pass catcher.
Given the Patriots are 1-6 and amid a rebuild, Bourne may be better served as a trade chip for future assets than what he brings on the field currently. Bourne did sign a three-year extension this offseason, but there is an out in his contract after this season, so there wouldn't be a massive financial hurdle for the Niners here.
The New York Giants currently sit at 2-5 on the season and are in last place in the NFC East. Unless they pull off a miraculous turnaround, this is a recipe for a team to deal away players for assets. Slayton, who is set to be a free agent at the end of this season, fits that mold. Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson are the building blocks for New York's wide receiver room, but Slayton has been productive, ranking second on the team in receiving yards. He could be the type of receiving weapon that helps San Francisco stretch the field (12.5 yards per reception) while Kittle and Samuel work in the short area.