Kendrick Bourne isn’t at the top of the list of the 49ers’ most important players. He’s not even at the top of the list of their most important wide receivers. However, the role he’s carved out in the 49ers’ receiving corps has turned him into a vital component of San Francisco’s No. 2-ranked scoring offense.
A quick look at the numbers don’t reveal anything mind-blowing from the third-year receiver. He had 30 catches for 358 yards and five touchdowns. In fact, Bourne was probably known more for his rough game against Seattle where he had multiple key drops than anything else this season.
However, a deeper dive into the numbers shows how vital his role is as the team’s third receiver behind Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders.
Bourne caught 30 passes this season. 23 of those went for first downs. Five of them went for touchdowns.
His first reception of the year came in Week 1 against the Buccaneers – a 9-yard catch on a second-and-22.
His second catch came the following week against the Bengals – a 4-yard catch on first-and-10.
After Week 2, every one of Bourne’s catches went for either a first down or a touchdown.
There was perhaps no better encapsulation of Bourne’s value than in Week 14 against the Saints. In that game, Bourne caught three passes for 18 yards. His first was a 6-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at 7-7.
His second catch was a 6-yard grab on third-and-6 in the fourth quarter with the 49ers trailing by two. Bourne caught the pass short of the sticks, then made a nice move to turn upfield and get across the first-down marker.
His final catch was another 6-yard touchdown on the same drive as his third-down conversion.
Three catches, two touchdowns, and a huge third-down conversion. That’s become the norm for Bourne in an offense that’s desperately needed additional playmakers.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan earlier in the year talked about Bourne and why he’s so effective in big moments:
“He has a lot of fun out there,” Shanahan said. “Sometimes he will make mistakes, but I also think it’s a gift and a curse, it’s also why he’s never freaking out out there, either. He is loose, and the game’s not too big for him, no matter what the situation is.”
Bourne, an undrafted rookie in 2017, is in the final year of his rookie contract and carved out a niche in the 49ers’ offense that makes him extremely valuable for the team moving forward.
Going into the postseason, players like George Kittle, Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel and Raheem Mostert will get a lot of the attention. Bourne and his knack for converting third downs and finding the end zone is just as vital to the 49ers’ success though.