San Francisco 49ers Draft Is Show of Faith in Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton

The San Francisco 49ers were widely anticipated to select a wide receiver in the early rounds of the 2015 draft, but once again general manager Trent Baalke subverted the expectations of most observers by waiting until the fourth round to take a wideout who may not even play in 2015, putting extra pressure on the pass catches already on the depth chart.

Georgia Tech's DeAndre Smelter was the player Baalke took with the Niners' third fourth-round selection.

Smelter has great size at 6'2" and 226 pounds and was viewed as a mid-round sleeper by a number of draft analysts. With his frame, ability to create separation and make yards after the catch, 49ers fans have reason to be hopeful Smelter can develop into one of quarterback Colin Kaepernick's top targets in the coming years.

But Smelter suffered an ACL injury in December last year, leaving his chances of making an immediate impact very much in doubt. His potential redshirt rookie year and the 49ers' decision not to bring in another receiver save for free-agent acquisitions Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson increases the spotlight on San Francisco's two other recent fourth-round selections at wideout, Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington.

Smith will start alongside the ageing Anquan Boldin as the Niners' top two options at receiver. Boldin has defied father time so far since his trade to the 49ers, putting up consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but what San Francisco lacks—particularly following the exits of Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson—is a good third option.

Baalke's decision not to draft a receiver in the early rounds, as much as it may have been motivated by a willingness to stick to his board, was a show of faith in the ability of Patton and Ellington to give the Niners that third and potentially fourth option in the coming season, although they will need to beat out Simpson in order to do so.

And heading into 2015, it is Ellington who is in the better position to catch more balls from Kaepernick.

The former South Carolina wideout saw limited playing time in his rookie year, yet he was solid as a return man and displayed his versatility by making the most of the snaps he did see on offense, hauling in a touchdown pass in the blowout loss to the Denver Broncos and scoring one on the ground and another through the air in a Week 16 overtime defeat to the San Diego Chargers.

Ellington's speed provides the 49ers with a player who can test defenses deep and on reverses. After taking his chances in 2014, he is sure to be given more of a shot next season. However, it is far from guaranteed that Patton will even be on the team by the opening-weekend kickoff.

Since being drafted in the fourth round in 2013, Patton has found it difficult to make an impact for the 49ers. He caught the eye immediately in preseason prior to the start of his rookie year, which was hampered by a foot injury that restricted him to just six games.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press/Associated Press

Patton, though, did show flashes of his ability late in 2013 and in the 49ers' run to the NFC Championship Game, only for him to be pushed down the depth chart by the likes of Johnson and Brandon Lloyd last year. A fumble on a reverse in overtime against the Chargers will not have helped his cause, but Patton does have the traits to be a success at the NFL level.

The former Louisiana Tech standout has good size for the position at 6'0" and 204 pounds and possesses the leaping ability and the body control to go up and make the tough contested grabs. He also has functional speed, a capability to make yards after the catch and is not afraid to block.

What perhaps stands out the most about Patton is that whenever he does hit the field, he plays with a chip on his shoulder and is not daunted by the big stage. Indeed, Jim Harbaugh had this to say about him after a divisional playoff win over the Carolina Panthers reports Taylor Price of 49ers.com:

"

Quinton's been a real good blue collar guy for us now. He's only really had limited action in the NFL, but the big stage does not frighten him. And I really like that about him. Each and every week he's contributed something. And you feel good about that and that improvement, hope for continued success.

"

With his attitude, sound overall talent and determination to make contested grabs, Patton compares well to Boldin and should have a strong rapport with Kaepernick having spent the last couple of offseasons training with him. Still, with four receivers potentially in front of him on the depth chart and the Niners adding five wideouts through undrafted free agency, Patton could have a fight on his hands to make the final roster.

More than anything else, what he and Ellington need is a chance to really prove themselves, yet that will not come easy, particularly with Simpson likely vying for snaps.

Season	Games	Catches	Yards	Touchdowns
2010	5	20	277	3
2011	16	50	725	4
2012	12	26	274	0
2013	16	48	726	1

While Simpson's well-documented off-the-field problems have hampered his career and saw him miss the entire 2014 season after he was released by the Minnesota Vikings, he has usually been productive when he has seen consistent playing time, twice putting up over 700 receiving yards in the two seasons in which he featured in all 16 games.

The question surrounding Simpson concerns whether he will be able to display the same kind of form after a year away from the league. If he is able to do so then the Niners will be getting an experienced receiver who has proven himself capable of troubling defenses both underneath and on deep routes in the past.

But 49ers fans would surely prefer homegrown players such as Ellington and Patton to be important contributors over a known character risk like Simpson. Both have the talent to succeed and, with the Niners drafting a receiver who may not start the year on the active roster, have been given the opportunity by Baalke to make an impression and take the next step in their development.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.