Mike LaFleur admits he has a "soft spot" for the wide receiver room.
But if you think that means he's going to let things slide, you'd be mistaken.
"In team meetings, most head coaches I've been with won't call out receivers on certain things," wide receiver Michael Wilson said. "Everything catches his eye, which is good, I like it."
LaFleur has been with wide receivers nearly his whole coaching career, from his season at Davidson College as an offensive coordinator and QB/WR coach, to multiple offensive assistant roles in the NFL including four seasons as the 49ers wideouts coach and his years as a coordinator with the Jets and Rams.
From Julio Jones and Roddy White to Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne, LaFleur stands in front of the meeting room with experience.
"It's a wide receivers dream," Marvin Harrison Jr. said. "Being a former receivers coach, he's been around receivers a lot. Yes, there's obviously positives to it, but he's definitely on you a lot more than other position groups as well. We need that and it's been great having him around."
As the offensive playcaller, LaFleur is naturally around the wide receivers throughout the day. Then again, he is the head coach.
"Part of my job was trying to hire the best staff that I possibly could, trust the guys to do what they do, and pour into it because I've seen it where a coordinator-head coach tries to do everything and it kind of dilutes the position coach a little," LaFleur said. "That's never what I want to do."
Tony Sorrentino, the wide receivers coach, has been on an NFL coaching staff for nine seasons and spent the last four with the Vikings as the assistant position coach. He worked with Justin Jefferson and helped develop Jordan Addison.
Mindful that there is only one football and an All-Pro tight end like Trey McBride on the team, there are only so many opportunities. However, through training camp practices and the preseason, it's evident that pre-snap motions and scheme will allow for everyone to get targets.
The job goes beyond targets, however. LaFleur will never let the wideouts forget that.
"He's not going to play about the run blocking," Harrison said with a laugh. "He expects a lot of us in the pass game as well, but he expects a lot of us on the field, off the field, being leaders of the offense. That's what you want."
LaFleur said sometimes he wants the receivers to listen to what he's telling the offensive line so "there's a shared accountability there."
Blocking technique is just one example. Wilson said LaFleur will point out "staying grounded when you catch the football, stance and start, demeanor" and what they do pre- and post-snap.
That's why it's a wide receiver's dream.
"He's got a critical eye for that position," Wilson said. "I like having a coach that's hyper critical about everything because the NFL game, if you're not on your P's and Q's, you'll get exposed quick. It's good to have a coach that that cares about us and is able to evaluate us to the highest degree."
