49ers’ No. 3 receiver job is wide open

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After the 49ers signed Jerome Simpson in March, many wondered why a team with a troubling recent history of off-the-field issues would sign a wide receiver with three arrests since 2012.

Five months later, on the heels of the six-game NFL suspension Simpson was given Tuesday, it’s also fair to wonder this: Why did a team with few proven wide receivers sign a player they knew was probably facing significant league discipline stemming from a 2014 arrest?

Now, with Simpson off the field until Oct. 22, the 49ers will open the regular season with starters Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith and ... any guesses? Boldin, Smith and Simpson are the only wideouts on the roster with more than six career catches.

In April, general manager Trent Baalke was asked about his team’s wide receiver depth in a pre-draft meeting with the media. Baalke said he wouldn’t feel pressured to draft a wideout and he followed through: The lone wide receiver the 49ers selected, Georgia Tech’s DeAndre Smelter in the fourth round, is likely to miss the season with a torn ACL he suffered in college.

At the time, Baalke mentioned three No. 3 wideout candidates already on the roster: Simpson, Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton, the latter two of whom are recent fourth-round picks who each have six career receptions.

Baalke also said in April that Ellington “is a young guy with a lot of talent,” and the two-sport standout at South Carolina flashed some skills as a rookie in 2014. In 2105, however, Ellington was sidelined during the offseason program with a hamstring injury. He returned this summer, but has missed most of training camp with a muscle strain.

Is he the man for a No. 3 role? The offensive coaches would probably echo special-teams coach Thomas McGaughey, who said it’s tough to assess Ellington as a punt returner because he’s rarely been on the field. Ellington also missed three games with a sprained ankle in 2014.

Bruce Ellington is an option for the third receiving spot despite only six career receptions, but he isn’t alone in his inexperience. Quinton Patton (below), another possibility, also has six. Bruce Ellington is an option for the third receiving spot despite only six career receptions, but he isn’t alone in his inexperience. Quinton Patton (below), another possibility, also has six. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close 49ers’ No. 3 receiver job is wide open 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

“Love the kid, just want to see him healthy so he can go out there and compete with the rest of the guys,” McGaughey said. “Just kind of see exactly how much he’s progressed during the offseason.”

As for Patton, he has had a quiet training camp and didn’t have a catch in his 20-snap appearance in last week’s preseason opener. He has played only 206 snaps in his two seasons, but has spent time working out with quarterback Colin Kaepernick each offseason.

“I have great trust in him as a person and as a football player,” Kaepernick said. “He’s someone that is constantly learning, constantly talking to me about what I’m looking at. I think that’s really helped our chemistry on the field and his development as being a reliable receiver.”

The 49ers did load up on wideouts after the draft: They signed five rookie free agents, and it’s possible Alabama’s DeAndrew White could at least temporarily assume the role Simpson was a favorite to fill.

What if no one emerges? Perhaps the 49ers won’t panic, given their other offensive options. They could largely eschew three-wideout formations and involve tight end Vernon Davis and their running backs in the passing game, two alternatives that were overlooked last year.

Davis had his fewest targets (50) since 2008 and Kaepernick threw five screen passes to running backs, according to Pro Football Focus. In the offseason, the 49ers signed Reggie Bush, who leads active running backs in receptions (466), and running back Carlos Hyde has flashed reliable hands in the offseason.

Still, the 49ers would like a young receiver to emerge before the regular-season opener against the Vikings on Sept. 14. For his part, Kaepernick is optimistic they’ll find a No. 3 over the next three weeks.

“We’ve had a lot of reps with other guys other than Torrey, Jerome and Anquan,” Kaepernick said. “So, moving forward, it’s not something we’re shying away from or uncomfortable with. We have people that have proven to us that they can go out and be good football players for us.”

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch