Trent Taylor

Taylor joins the Bengals this year after getting diminishing returns in San Francisco the past two seasons after he got some buzz during his rookie campaign. He replaces Alex Erickson as a possible punt returner and fourth wideout.

An infection in Taylor's surgically-repaired foot derailed his 2019 season before it even got under way. The 26-year-old reportedly is ready to return to action, and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with Jimmy Garoppolo, as the two have rarely been on the field at the same time over the last two years. Taylor is your prototypical slot man, checking in at 5-8 with quickness and solid hands, and he also has experience as a return man. The 2017 fifth-round pick will have his work cut out for him in training camp with plenty of faces to compete with for the 49ers' starting slot receiver role. On the bright side, Taylor may be needed for depth early in the season, as both Deebo Samuel and Richie James are returning from offseason surgery.

Taylor took a step back in his sophomore campaign, recording just 215 yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions. The 25-year-old was dealing with a back injury that almost cost him the start of the season, but he was deemed healthy enough to post a couple of decent stat lines as the 49ers' primary slot receiver over the first four weeks of action. Taylor eventually lost playing time to a couple teammates - primarily Richie James in the slot - and saw his role diminish to near nothingness down the stretch. Taylor will look to maintain a slot role on the team with the help of new wide receiver coach Wes Welker, but an August foot fracture leaves the 25-year-old in danger of missing Week 1.

Taylor had a passable rookie year - 10.0 YPC, 7.2 YPT, two TDs on 60 targets out of the slot. After Jimmy Garoppolo took over, Taylor had a 92-yard receiving game and at least two catches each week. The 49ers will get Pierre Garcon back from a neck injury and drafted Dante Pettis in the second round, but the rookie figures to contribute more as a returner initially, leaving Taylor as the probable No. 3 wideout. With a full camp, Garoppolo should build on last year's success in Kyle Shanahan's system, and there should be enough production to go around between the team's various targets. At 5-8, 178, and with meager 4.63 speed, Taylor is strictly an underneath target, relying on quickness and wiggle to get open. Don't expect much in the way of big plays or red-zone work.

Despite being undersized for a possession receiver (5-8, 181), Taylor proved his naysayers wrong in his senior year at Louisiana Tech by catching 136 passes for a nation-best 1,803 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns. The rookie plays his game best under the coverage on short and quick routes, so he could quickly mesh with Brian Hoyer -- or C.J. Beathard down the road -- if and when he gets a shot to see the field. For now, consider him a developmental player until the depth chart settles around a 49ers receiving corps that is cluttered behind Pierre Garcon.