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Quinton Patton? Please.

Finding a successful wide receiver in the fourth round is rare

San Francisco is looking a wide receiver who can start while Michael Crabtree mends from an Achilles injury, but it will be a surprise if rookie Quinton Patton emerges with that job.

The name Quinton Patton is getting batted around, as if he's the guy who could save San Francisco's injury-riddled receiving corps. But that looks unlikely.

If Patton was a big-time receiver, chances are he would have been picked long before the start of the fourth round of the draft. And history shows that you simply don't see many wide receivers selected in the fourth round doing much of anything right away.

There have been 50 wide receivers drafted in the fourth round in the last 10 years. By my count, three of those guys played well enough that in hindsight, they had some fantasy value in that first year. Austin Collie, Mike Williams and Jacoby Ford. If you want to lower the ball a little, you can add Chris Givens as well; he made some big downfield catches for the Rams last year.

Others in that group became could players. Most notably Brandon Marshall, Brandon Lloyd and Cecil Shorts III. But I'm looking just as rookie years, and 4 of 50 -- 8 percent -- is about the success rate.

For me, Quinton Patton isn't even on my draft board until and unless I see him do something of note in the preseason.

Fourth-round receivers (2003-2012)
2003Shaun McDonaldRams
2003* Brandon Lloyd49ers
2003Sam AikenBills
2004Carlos FrancisRaiders
2004Samie ParkerChiefs
2004Jerricho CotcheryJets
2004Ernest WilfordJaguars
2005Jerome MathisTexans
2005Craphonso ThorpeChiefs
2005Chase LymanSaints
2005Fred GibsonSteelers
2005Roydell WilliamsTitans
2006Michael Robinson49ers
2006Brad SmithJets
2006Cory RodgersPackers
2006Jason AvantEagles
2006Demetrius WilliamsRavens
2006Will BlackmonPackers
2006* Brandon MarshallBroncos
2006Skyler GreenCowboys
2006Domenik HixonBroncos
2007Isaiah StanbackCowboys
2007Ryne RobinsonPanthers
2007Chris DavisTitans
2008Will FranklinKansas City
2008Marcus SmithRavens
2008Arman ShieldsRaiders
2008Lavelle HawkinsTitans
2008Keenan BurtonRams
2009Mike ThomasJaguars
2009Brian HartlineDolphins
2009Louis MurphyRaiders
2009Austin CollieColts
2010Mardy GilyardRams
2010Mike WilliamsBuccaneers
2010Marcus EasleyBills
2010Jacoby FordRaiders
2011Kris DurhamSeahawks
2011Edmond GatesDolphins
2011Greg SalasRams
2011* Cecil Shorts IIIJaguars
2011Tandon DossRavens
2012Chris GivensRams
2012Travis BenjaminBrowns
2012Joe AdamsPanthers
2012Devon WylieChiefs
2012Jarius WrightVikings
2012Keshawn MartinTexans
2012Nick ToonSaints
2012Greg ChildsVikings

--Ian Allan

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