The 49ers might have to make another call to Bloomington
The San Francisco 49ers need to add to their wide receiver room with the departure of Brandon Aiyuk and potentially Jauan Jennings, and there are concerns over Ricky Pearsall’s durability to last a full season in the NFL. To begin the season in Seattle, Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Russell Gage took meaningful snaps at receiver. In the divisional round, it was Jennings, Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Kendrick Bourne, and Skyy Moore.
Now, did I want to write about Elijah Sarratt from my national champion Indiana Hoosiers because I’m very proud of them? For sure, but Sarratt is a 6’2” receiver with shades of Keenan Allen to his game. The former zero-star recruit bounced around in college. Starting at St. Francis in 2022, before a stop at James Madison, and spending his last two seasons in Bloomington.
Sarratt was initially scheduled to compete in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, but withdrew following Indiana’s long season. Now, I know what you’re asking. Jason, the 49ers need speed at the receiver position. Is Sarratt fast? Well, not exactly. How Sarratt wins is with route-running savvy. Top-end speed isn’t his game, hence the comparison to Keenan Allen.
As far as wingspan goes, Sarratt isn’t at the elite level, but he can fight through catches with physicality. He may not be a jump-ball contested catch guy, but don’t mistake that for lack of toughness. How does he fit the 49ers? Well, the Indiana receiver will fit right into Kyle Shanahan’s system, as his route tree early in the NFL will consist of in-breaking routes, crossers (shallow or deep overs), and digs (hello, dagger concept).
It remains to be seen if Sarratt can transition to a traditional “X” receiver in the NFL, but a pairing of Pearsall and Sarratt can cause matchup nightmares as the Indiana receiver would be a significant threat in the slot. The red zone is where Sarratt made his money in 2025, especially in big moments. Finishing with 15 touchdowns on the season, Fernando Mendoza targeted Sarratt in the most critical moments.
Currently, it feels like Sarratt would be in the second or third round from pick 40-50, but his buzz is growing after his season, which helped Indiana win the natty. The 49ers are going to address the wide receiver position this offseason. Forget about Alec Pierce, because he is going to get an absolute bag. The offense desperately needs speed to compete with Seattle, but adding Sarratt would give them a receiver able to uncover on his own. It will take a combination of receivers, but Sarratt feels like a Shanahan-type receiver.
Keep drafting Hoosiers.
Category: General Sports
