It’s no secret that the 49ers could use some help at the wide receiver position this offseason.

With Brandon Aiyuk expected to be released or traded this spring, second-year pro Ricky Pearsall playing in just nine games this season due to a lingering knee injury, and Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne filing for unrestricted free agency, San Francisco has a lot of uncertainty at the position heading into the offseason.

So who should the 49ers target, and should they focus on additions through the draft, free agency, the trade market, or all three? No matter how you look to strengthen the position, legendary 49ers wideout Jerry Rice believes a team needs at least one specific type of receiver.

“We need burners and we need guys who can take that layer off the top, because the players are going to be predictable and the defensive coordinators are going to get a feel for the players and they know that we’re just going to throw the ball over the middle or else we’re going to throw the ball to the outside,” Rice told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on Thursday’s Super Bowl Radio Row. “You have to be able to throw to the top.

“A long time ago, Bill Walsh said, ‘Hey, look, even if we don’t make this connection, we’re still going to throw deep to let the opposing defense know that we’re not afraid to go deep. And I think we’ve got to start doing that more.’

Many 49ers fans and analysts believe the team should make a major move and pursue a potential blockbuster trade for Minnesota Vikings superstar wideout Justin Jefferson, but the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year does not fit the “burner” archetype that Rice believes San Francisco’s offense needs.

But why not both?

Whether through trade, free agency or the draft, the 49ers should have options to rebuild an offense that showed great potential when healthy this season.

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