Rookie initiations rarely translate to immediate impacts from 49ers’ wide receivers, as Jordan Watkins has already heard.
“They kind of spoke to me about what it takes to be a 49er, especially as a rookie in Coach (Kyle) Shanahan’s system. It’s going to be tough,” Watkins said last month, minutes after becoming a fourth-round draft pick.
This is Shanahan’s ninth year leading the 49ers, and the 49ers have drafted 13 wide receivers in that span. Career paths have varied, after a rigorous onboarding process that demands rookies learn and execute every detail, with versatility to boot.
Now, with organized team activities underway this week, Watkins must find a way to emerge from a 12-man unit. His 4.37-second speed in the 40-yard dash should help, so should his five years of experience in the collegiate ranks.
The 49ers could bolster their receiving corps by adding a veteran next week, when it helps their 2026 compensatory-pick formula. But this offseason’s emphasis has been to get younger, faster and cheaper, so players like Watkins can be groomed as the next wave of homegrown stars.
“It’s going to be hard to be able to work my way up onto the field as a rookie,” Watkins added. “But I think the thing that makes San Francisco very special is that they really care about football there. And they told me that if you care about football and you love football, then you’re going to fit in great here.”
Some excelled right away, such as Deebo Samuel (2019) and Brandon Aiyuk (2020). Others’ entry paths got sidetracked by injury, such as 2019 camp phenom Jalen Hurd and 2024 top pick Ricky Pearsall, the latter of whom was limited in his rookie year OTAs and wore a no-contact jersey because of a repeatedly dislocated shoulder.
At age 23, Watkins isn’t a raw project, and he’s only 13 ½ months younger than Brock Purdy. Watkins’ 5-foot-11, 196-pound frame may not seem daunting, but it resembles what Shanahan often seeks, especially for slot-receiver duties.
The 49ers’ depth chart, if all are healthy, might read: Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Watkins, Trent Taylor, Russell Gage Jr., Terique Owens, Isaiah Hodgins, Junior Bergen and Isaiah Neyor.
Of course, not all will be healthy Week 1, and Aiyuk conceivably could miss at least the first four games on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
“There is going to be opportunity to be able to step in and make those big plays that are needed to win football games,” said Watkins, who played 60 games and caught 185 passes (18 touchdowns) over five college seasons, having transferred after two years at Louisville (his birthplace) to three seasons at Mississippi.
When it comes to production, look no further than his 254-yard, five-touchdown record-setter against Arkansas in 2024, although he also went out with a 180-yard, two-touchdown bang in his college finale in a Gator Bowl win over Duke.
If Watkins looks like a seasoned pro from the outset, he could help cover for potential early-season absences of Aiyuk, who is seven months into knee-reconstruction recovery, and Demarcus Robinson, who could face a suspension for alleged drunken driving last season. And don’t forget that Deebo Samuel was traded to Washington in March.
Here is how 49ers’ draft picks have fared in their rookie seasons under Shanahan ahead of this year’s efforts from Watkins and seventh-rounder Junior Bergen, the latter of whom is envisioned more as a return specialist:
Trent Taylor (2017, fifth round)
Rookie year: 43 catches, 60 targets, 430 yards, two TDs (30 punt returns, 281 yards)
Note: Taylor spent his first four seasons with the 49ers, and his rookie season was his best before 2019 foot surgery waylaid him. He returned last year, mostly on the practice squad.
Dante Pettis (2018, second round)
Rookie year: 27 catches, 45 targets, 467 yards, 5 TDs (9 punt returns, 27 yards)
Note: Pettis’ wiggly frame couldn’t escape coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse, leading to a November 2020 release.
Richie James (2018, seventh round)
Rookie year: Nine catches, 14 targets, 130 yards, one TD; (12 punt returns, 75 yards)
Note: James’ game-ending backflip in the 49ers’ victory formation was a staple of the 2019 team’s Super Bowl run. He peppered the Packers for 184 yards in a 2020 Thursday night loss. Knee surgery ended his tenure before a fourth Niners season.
Deebo Samuel (2019, second round)
Rookie year: 57 catches, 81 targets, 802 yards, 3 TD (159 yards rushing, 3 TDs)
Note: Samuel’s 802 receiving yards are second only to Jerry Rice (927) among rookies in 49ers history, and Samuel’s three 100-yard games were the most by a 49ers rookie. That set the stage for a six-season tenure that peaked with a 2021 All-Pro nod, and ended with March’s trade to Washington.
Jalen Hurd (2019, third round)
Rookie year: Did not play
Note: Two touchdown catches in the 2019 preseason opener turned Hurd into a mythological All-Pro. Back and knee injuries put him on injured reserve for three straight years. He never played a regular-season snap before his November 2021 release.
Brandon Aiyuk (2020, first round)
Rookie year: 60 catches, 96 targets, 748 yards, 5 TDs (77 rushing yards, 2 TDs)
Note: The 25th overall pick produced one of the most productive rookie seasons in 49ers history, ranking second in receptions, third in receiving yards, and third in total touchdowns. His fifth season was cut short last October by a knee injury.
Jauan Jennings (2020, seventh round)
Rookie year: Practice squad
Note: Jennings started his rookie year on the practice squad before a hamstring tear sent him onto injured reserve in late October. He’s since blossomed into a premier, physical player, culminating in a team-high 975 yards last season. He’s entering the final year of his contract.
Danny Gray (2022, third round)
Rookie year: One catch, seven targets, 10 yards, no touchdowns
Note: The speedy Gray caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Trey Lance in the 2022 preseason opener, then vanished. He got on the field only 13 career games and failed to make the 2024 roster.
Ronnie Bell (2023, seventh round)
Rookie year: six catches, 13 targets, 68 yards, 3 TDs (10 punt returns, 70 yards)
Note: Bell had only six catches as a rookie but three went for touchdowns. He was waived last Nov. 29, two months after a devastating drop that foiled a Week 3 comeback attempt at the Los Angeles Rams.
Ricky Pearsall (2024, first round)
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Rookie year: 31 catches, 46 targets, 400 yards, 3 TDs (45 rushing yards, one TD)
Note: After missing the first six games while recovering from a Labor Day weekend shooting in San Francisco, the 31st overall pick tallied 31 receptions overall, and he racked up 210 yards and two touchdowns in his final two games.
Jacob Cowing (2024, fourth round)
Rookie year: Four catches, six targets, 80 yards, no TDs (28 punt returns, 245 yards)
Note: He was scarcely seen on offense (11% of snaps) and rarely targeted, thus inspiring what hass allegedly been an impressive 2025 offseason transformation. He also ran the 40 at the combine under 4.4 seconds en route to a fourth-round selection (see: Watkins, 2025).