In retrospect, the question sounds silly: Will 49ers wide receiver Stevie Johnson make the 53-man roster?

That was posed to Jim Harbaugh on Aug. 25, five days before final roster cuts, and it seemed like a legitimate query.

Johnson, after all, had been sidelined by a hamstring injury in the spring and his summer included a nondescript training camp and two catches for 11 yards in the preseason. In addition, he was scheduled to earn $3.925 million, was coming off an injury plagued season with the Bills, who – perhaps tellingly? – had traded him to the 49ers in May for a conditional fourth-round pick.

Finally, he was part of a crowded wide receiver corps that included Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd, which further fueled speculation he could be a salary-cap casualty.

Thus, the question: Does Johnson have a spot secured on the team?

Said Harbaugh: “I feel very good about him being on the 53-man roster, yes.”

Two months later, Johnson, whose forgettable 2013 was preceded by three straight 1,000-yard season, has made the 49ers feel very good about acquiring him.

After seven games, Johnson, 28, ranks third on the 49ers in receptions (25) and receiving yards (315), has a team-high six catches of 20-plus yards and shares team-high honors with three touchdowns.

Those solid numbers look spectacular when considering this: Johnson has played just 31 percent of the offensive snaps, the fourth-fewest among wideouts behind Boldin (88 percent), Crabtree (73) and Lloyd (38).

Johnson, obviously, has extracted the most from his limited opportunities. Among the 67 wide receivers who have been targeted with at least 30 passes, Johnson ranks first in average yards per route run (3.18), according to Pro Football Focus.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has clearly found a trusted target after struggling to get on the same page with Johnson this summer. Kaepernick has a 127.8 passer rating when targeting Johnson, completing 25 of 31 passes.

Such numbers, of course, beg the question: Why isn’t Johnson, who has played fewer than 20 snaps in four games, on the field more?

Part of the answer is Boldin and Crabtree are entrenched as the top two wideouts and the 49ers, despite increased usage of three- and four-wideout formations this season, remain committed to their running attack: They rank seventh in rushing attempts per game (30.0) and 21st in passing attempts (33.1).

That is, Johnson, in effect, shares the No. 3 wide receiver role with Lloyd in an offense that still isn’t exactly pass-happy. The 49ers have used three-wideout formations on 51 percent of their plays and have employed four-wideout personnel on 10.8 percent of their plays, per PFF.

It’s possible the performance of Johnson and Lloyd – who is averaging 25.2 yards on 10 catches – could lead to a more equal division of labor between the top four wideouts in the second half of the season, although it’s unlikely Boldin and Crabtree would cede significant snaps.

Johnson has certainly made a compelling case for a bump in playing time. Consider that Crabtree, despite running 136 more pass routes than Johnson, has just seven more receptions and seven more yards.

Johnson’s production has yet to change the wide receiver hierarchy, but it has altered the conversation. Two months after his spot on the team didn’t appear certain, the question is this: How can he assume a more prominent role?

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Johnson has played just 31 percent of the offensive snaps this season, but is on pace for a 57-catch, 720-yard, seven-touchdown season:

Anquan Boldin: 39 catches, 447 yards, 1 TD, 250 routes run

Michael Crabtree: 32 catches, 322 yards, 3 TD, 235 routes run

Stevie Johnson: 25 catches, 315 yards, 3 TD, 99 routes run

Brandon Lloyd: 21 catches, 252 yards, 1 TD 125 routes run