Who is going to be the #1 receiver for Hill, Smith?

June 1, 11:09 AMSan Francisco 49ers ExaminerSamuel Lam

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I was browsing through some YouTube videos and I came across this highlight video of Alex Smith. Yes, a highlight video of Smith.

OK, so there were pretty much clips from about five games he played well in, but it still provided me some insight on the 49ers quarterback. 

Smith is a very mobile quarterback and I actually think he has a really nice soft touch on his throws. But when looking at the clips, most of them came courtesy of his 2006 season-- the season in which he threw 16 touchdowns under Norv Turner.

In that season, his best target was Antonio Bryant. During the preseason, these two found a great connection and it developed into the regular season. But with a clash with Mike Nolan, Bryant was let go at season's end.

Now Bryant is a Pro Bowl receiver for Tampa Bay.

But in 2006, his numbers were not super impressive: 40 catches and three touchdowns. Bryant did however average 18.3 yards per reception. The deep threat did allow Smith comfort in the pocket (and a change of defense from the opposition in respect to the deep pass).

So I start to wonder about Smith and Shaun Hill. Both of them more than likely will find one receiver that they can rely on throughout the year as their "comfort receiver". Last season, Isaac Bruce came up big down the stretch for Hill in the passing game. This year, he might not get that many looks but could still be as effective.

For either Smith or Hill, the comfort receiver should be able to stretch the field and hopefully allow the short passes to open up on defense. I would expect Josh Morgan to be the best deep threat right now for the team. But since the depth chart has still yet to be determined, I might give a little nod to Brandon Jones to get a lot of looks as the receiver running slants and cross patterns.

But this is all just me wondering. Who would be the best receiver for either quarterback? Which receiver would definitely help quarterback the most? It's not just about the highest reception total, but how much one player can impact the team.