SANTA CLARA — The 49ers selected another target in the passing game for whomever ends up being the team’s starting quarterback.
With the No. 253 overall pick, the 49ers chose wide receiver Ronnie Bell of Michigan in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bell (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) caught a career-best 62 passes for 889 yards with four touchdown receptions as a senior after coming back from a torn ACL in his right knee in September of 2021. He was selected as a team captain.
Bell, who ran a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash, will have an opportunity to compete for the No. 3 job behind starters Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
The 49ers selected Danny Gray in the third round of last year’s draft, and he appeared in 13 games as a rookie but caught just one pass for 10 yards.
Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud shared time as the 49ers’ No. 3 receiver last season. Jennings caught 35 passes for 416 yards, with one touchdown reception, while McCloud had 14 catches for 243 yards and one touchdown reception.
The 49ers wanted to add another wide receiver with Aiyuk nearing the end of his contract and likely to command a big-money deal.
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The 49ers are expected to pick up the fifth-year option on Aiyuk for the 2024 season, as the 25-year-old led the 49ers with 78 receptions for 1,015 yards with eight touchdown receptions.
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With so many other high-priced players on the team, it remains to be seen if the 49ers will be able to retain Aiyuk on a long-term contract extension.
Samuel was limited to 13 games last season due to injuries. He caught 56 passes for 632 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 232 yards and three touchdowns.