Get to know 49ers receivers who are left to face Packers

Deebo Samuel? Out.

Brandon Aiyuk? Out.

Kendrick Bourne? Out.

Dante Pettis? Cut.

If the 49ers’ game against the Green Bay Packers is played as scheduled Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium, quarterback Nick Mullens will be throwing to none of the team’s top three receivers.

Bourne, Aiyuk and Samuel were placed Wednesday on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced.

Moreover, Mullens will not have left tackle Trent Williams protecting his blind side because he was placed on the COVID list, too.
Samuel would not have been available for the game, anyway. He had already been ruled out of action with a hamstring injury.

The 49ers are currently a mess at wide receiver.

Trent Taylor is available. He's the only healthy receiver on the 53-man roster.

Richie James is “questionable” as he attempts to return from missing one game with an ankle injury.

The 49ers can be expected to promote at least two of the team’s practice-squad receivers to the active roster.

The 49ers’ passing game could also get a boost from veteran tight end Jordan Reed, who missed the past five games with a knee injury.

But, it would seem, the last thing the 49ers want to do is to put Reed at greater risk of injury with a heavy workload. Ross Dwelley is likely to start at tight end and play every snap.

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Here are the 49ers’ options at wide receiver from the practice squad:

Kevin White

White will get his best chance with the 49ers after getting elevated to the game-day roster for the games against Miami and the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season. He played just two snaps on offense but saw considerable action on special teams.

White (6-foot-3, 216 pounds) was the seventh overall pick of the Chicago Bears in 2015. Injuries derailed his career. The Bears did not pick up his fifth-year option. Then, the Arizona Cardinals cut him this summer.

The 49ers signed him and placed him on their practice squad.

White gives the 49ers some size on the outside. In 26 career games, he has 25 catches (all with the Bears) for 285 yards and no touchdowns.

River Cracraft

Cracraft was elevated from the practice squad for the 49ers’ Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks. He did not play any snaps of offense, but he had 14 plays on special teams and registered one tackle.

Cracraft (6-0, 198) entered the NFL in 2017 with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted rookie from Washington State, where he caught 218 passes for 2,701 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four-year career.

In parts of three seasons with the Broncos, he appeared in nine games and came up with one reception for 44 yards. He can also help as a return man.

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Chris Finke

The 49ers signed Finke as an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame but waived him at the start of camp after he sustained a hamstring injury during offseason workouts.

Finke (5-9, 186) appeared in 49 games with 10 starts in his college career. He had 106 receptions for 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns. He also averaged 8.4 yards on 63 punt returns.

Finke and Trent Taylor are similar players, so it is likely White and Cracraft would be the first in line for elevations from the practice squad.