San Francisco 49ers

Jeremy Kerley: Why 49ers WR Will Emerge as the No. 1 Option

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The San Francisco 49ers have seen many changes across the roster coming into the current season. One of the biggest changes overall is the wide receiver position. With many new faces yet to breakout, look for Jeremy Kerley to be a pleasant surprise for the current offense.

For the past three seasons, the San Francisco 49ers have relied heavily on wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

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During the most recent offseason, the team decided to part ways with the veteran receiver to increase the chances for younger talent to break out.

However, due to injuries and a crowded wide receiver corps, the 49ers had to part ways with many new and young faces.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith is the speedster and a viable No. 2 option, but the 49ers lack that true No. 1 receiver.

With Boldin gone, they had hoped that wide receiver DeAndre Smelter would fill that role.

Unfortunately, in preseason, that reality became far-fetched when Smelter went down yet another injury.

During the final preseason cuts, Smelter was waived and the two parted on an injury settlement.

On August 29, the 49ers acquired Jeremy Kerley in a trade with the Detroit Lions.

Kerley, A five-year veteran, has not only stepped into that role as the No. 1 receiver, but he has gained the confidence of quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

In Week 1, on 11 targets, the veteran receiver finished with seven catches for 61 yards.

More importantly, he helped to move the chains on the offense and keep the momentum going.

#49ers snap count: Full workload for newcomer Jeremy Kerley (@MaioccoCSN) https://t.co/PtvSdrPCSd #NFL #Rams pic.twitter.com/og2wQ2DHCE

— CSNAuthentic (@CSNAuthentic) September 13, 2016

His second-week performance was less then spectacular. But he did play against a very good Carolina Panthers defense. He was able to contribute with three catches for 29 yards in a decisive 46-27 loss.

Though his second game wasn’t as productive as his first, his stats cannot be blamed on poor offense of inefficiency. After the 49ers established a surprising 10-7 lead over the Panthers early, the offense produced a 3-and-out situation during the next four out of five drives.

Playing in a young, mostly unproven wide receiver corps, this is a golden opportunity for Kerley. He looks to be the most ready to step into the starting role.

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In order for Kerley to shine in a starting role, Gabbert must facilitate him with the ball.

The success of this team relies heavily on the starters who take the field. More importantly, the growth of the younger players relies heavily on the veterans who lead. The rookies and younger wideouts are more likely to have success with a veteran paving the way.

Not only do they have someone to mold their game after, but it takes the pressure off of them to perform, which in turn, will elevate their game.

Look for Kerley to play a big role against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

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