Quite a few wide receivers are stepping up this offseason.
The San Francisco 49ers have made a couple of moves at wide receiver this offseason in lieu of Brandon Aiyuk’s knee injury. First, they signed DeMarcus Robinson in free agency, who could take over the ‘X’ receiver role, but is expected to miss the first three weeks of the season due to a suspension.
They also added rookies Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen via the draft, while maintaining their young nucleus that already includes 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, 2024 fourth-round pick Jacob Cowing, and others.
Last year, the 49ers dealt with quite a few injuries at the wide receiver position. Aiyuk went down in October with his torn ACL and MCL, and Deebo Samuel missed a few games with a variety of issues.
That prompted Jauan Jennings to shine in a lead role, catching 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 as San Francisco’s top wideout and second-leading receiver behind George Kittle.
Now, this year, San Francisco will likely be without both Samuel and Aiyuk to begin the season. Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, while Aiyuk is still recovering and could be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start the year.
So, in their absence, who could step up and emerge as a top option for Brock Purdy in 2025?
Well, currently, Pearsall has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out until around training camp. So, the eyes have been on Jacob Cowing, who reportedly had a strong offseason working hard on his own. That has been seen on the field so far by quarterback Brock Purdy, who has been impressed with the second-year pro’s route-running.
“I think Cowing’s had a great OTAs so far, and getting in and out of cuts, and being the first one to lead lines and show guys how routes are supposed to be ran,” Purdy said this week. “So, he’s taking a huge leap there. So, really excited for him and his development, and excited to keep throwing to him.”
Robinson has also been a pleasure to have, giving the team a veteran presence while also showing out on the field.
“Demarcus has been awesome,” Purdy continued. “Just having that veteran receiver in that [receiving] room, and showing those guys, sort of just what it’s like to be a vet receiver. He’s very smart. He’s come in, he’s learned the playbook. And not only that, he’s actually gone out every single day and just competed, and getting up and down with the ball, and tracking the ball in, and getting in and out of cuts as well.
“But you could just tell he’s a seasoned vet. He’s been here [and he knows] how certain routes are supposed to be ran, just being on top of everything, not really messing up. I feel like he’s done a great job, and we’re going to continue to learn each other, and how he gets around, and how I can get him the ball.”
Those two could be key components of the offense early as the 49ers navigate without Aiyuk, but Cowing, especially, could be the next man up over the first three weeks with Robinson likely sidelined, moving Jennings to that boundary spot.
The 49ers’ wide receivers will be a group to keep an eye out for this offseason, and it seems a couple are already making their mark with Brock Purdy. Once the group is fully healthy, there could be some serious depth mixed in with strong top options.