San Francisco 49ers: Five Bold Predictions For The 2013 Season

1. Quinton Patton will emerge as the number two receiver

Jan 21, 2013; Fairhope AL, USA; Senior Bowl south squad wide receiver Quinton Patton of Louisiana Tech (4) pulls in a pass during practice at Fairhope municipal stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest news this offseason came when Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles tendon. Crabtree emerged as the Niners’ go to receiver last season, especially after Colin Kaepernick took over as the starting quarterback.

He finished the year with career highs in every major receiving category. Crabtree collected 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. In the playoffs, Crabtree brought in 20 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns in three games.

The Niners will be hard pressed to replace the production of Michael Crabtree. They brought in Boldin to pair with Crabtree, as a way to create another option for Kaepernick and to keep defenses from keying in on Crabtree. Now they must hope that one of their young receivers is ready to step to the forefront and pick up the slack left behind from Crabtree’s absence.

By the end of the year, Quinton Patton will be that other piece to the puzzle. Patton was a prolific pass catcher in his two seasons at Louisiana Tech with 183 receptions for 2,594 yards and 24 touchdowns.

His senior season was stellar with 104 receptions for 1,392 yards and 13 touchdowns. His biggest game came against their toughest opponent in Texas A&M. Patton exploded for 21 receptions for 221 yards and four touchdowns, as the Bulldogs came within three points of upsetting the Aggies.

Patton averaged 7.32 receptions, 103.76 yards, and .96 touchdowns per game. These averages put him amongst the nation’s elite pass catchers in his draft class. His production is strongly tied to his firm grasp of his technical football skills.

Patton is an exceptional route runner and understands how to get open with fakes and quickness. The skill that should place him above all the other young receivers is his run blocking, as he is a willing blocker and show great fight and effort in blocking for his teammates.

Patton should challenge early on in training camp for the starting position opposite of Boldin. Expect him to be productive early with teams focusing on Boldin, but his production could increase as the season progresses due to the building chemistry with Kaepernick. It would not be surprising to see Patton catch 50 or more passes this season as the number two receiver.