The 49ers may have gotten a small peek at their future Thursday night when rookie seventh-round pick Richie James got the nod as the team’s slot receiver. He posted a career highs with two receptions and 60 yards, and would’ve had a touchdown if not for a drop. It was a welcome performance in a year littered with underwhelming play for the 49ers’ wide receivers.

San Francisco desperately needs playmakers in their receiving corps. Thursday was an anomaly in terms of receiver production, but James’ brief emergence on a 53-yard catch-and-run was a glimpse of what the former Middle Tennessee State star can do. That play was the second-longest catch by a 49ers receiver this season behind Marquise Goodwin’s 67-yard touchdown vs. the Packers.

It’s plays like that that’ll make James so valuable going forward.

Tight end George Kittle leads the team in receptions (41) and receiving yards (692). Pierre Garçon is the leading wide receiver in receptions (24) and receiving yards (286), and he missed an entire game and portions of several others with multiple injuries.

The 49ers have 2,232 receiving yards this season. Seven wide receivers who’ve caught balls for them account for just 47.6 percent of that yardage. Those same receivers have accounted for 47.3 percent of the team’s receptions.

A player like James who can turn short throws into long gains will be vital if San Francisco is going to salvage a few wins down the stretch. James replaced Trent Taylor on Thursday and showed the different level of explosiveness he offers.

Taylor is a tough, reliable slot receiver who’s racked up 61 catches for 568 yards and three touchdowns in 22 games since being taken in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. He doesn’t provide the same game-changing athleticism James does though.

Neither CJ Beathard nor Nick Mullens have the big-time arm talent to shred teams down the field. James showed Thursday that his speed from the slot is an asset. He already has as many receptions in 57 snaps as fellow rookie and second-round pick Dante Pettis has in 147 snaps.

This is not to say James is going to transform into a No. 1 option. However, he does bring something different to the table in the 49ers receiving corps, and he should continue getting opportunities in what amounts to a lost season for San Francisco. It would be a significant victory for the 49ers and their front office if a seventh-round pick surfaces as a legitimate playmaking threat in their receiving corps.