The 49ers may look to find some additional insurance at wide receiver in the draft. How do they so may give a window into their thoughts on a 2024 selection.
Since Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch took charge of the 49ers, there has been one draft in which they have not selected a wide receiver.
The 2021 draft is the only draft in the Shanahan-Lynch era that has seem them eschew the chance to take a wideout, their commitment to adding at the position perhaps reflective of a head coach who spent his college career as a wideout at Texas.
While there have been misses, Shanahan has had a good eye for the position in which he operated for the Longhorns, finding stars in the form of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, while there were very positive signs from first-round pick Ricky Pearsall down the stretch last season.
Yet with Samuel traded to the Washington Commanders and Aiyuk’s status for Week 1 up in the air as he continues to recover from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 7 last season, the depth on the 49ers’ wide receiver depth chart does not look as strong as it once did.
San Francisco will be hoping for further strides from Pearsall and for Jauan Jennings to make further progress after falling agonizingly shy of a first 1,000-yard season in 2024.
Though the 49ers have the best tight end in football in George Kittle and, when healthy, the most well-rounded running back in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, the situation surrounding their wide receiver corps suggests they may have to add to it in the draft.
San Francisco already bolstered their options at the position by signing veteran Demarcus Robinson to a two-year, $8 million contract. Given their history, the likelihood is they will select another receiver in the draft. When they do so will give a major clue as to their opinion of the second wideout they took last year after picking Pearsall.
Jacob Cowing received very sparing playing time in his rookie year after being taken in the fourth round, featuring on just 11 percent (106) of the offensive snaps. He received only six targets, catching four of them, with three of them going for first downs.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was quizzed on Cowing’s lack of playing time following a Week 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, a game in which he largely watched from the sidelines, including when Ronnie Bell committed a key drop that helped cost San Francisco the game.
Shanahan said:
“He’s still working to get out there. He is trying to get more comfortable with the offense and just earn a role with it, gets closer and closer each week. Still got a bit to go, though. There’s lots of reasons that go into it, but he hasn’t been able to make his way into that group yet, and the more he gets comfortable with the offense and the more consistent he gets, then he’ll earn those opportunities.”
Those opportunities were few, however, with Cowing remaining at the bottom of the depth chart behind Bell until November, when the former seventh-round pick was released.
Cowing’s limited role came despite him flashing an intriguing blend of speed and route-running ability when he did get chances to play. He shone in the preseason games with the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, and flashed his ability to create downfield separation when forced into action in the game that saw Aiyuk lost for the year, breaking free down the right sideline on a stop-and-go double move. His 41-yard reception would have been a touchdown had Brock Purdy produced a more accurate ball.
With Aiyuk – the 49ers’ best downfield weapon – on the shelf, it would have made sense for Cowing to move into a significantly increased role thereafter.
Yet that did not happen and the signing of Robinson – who ranked 14th in passer rating when targeted (89.0) on deep targets (min. 20) among wideouts last season, per PFF – could be interpreted as a lack of faith in Cowing to step into a role as the 49ers’ primary downfield threat in Aiyuk’s potential absence to start the year.
The 49ers taking a receiver early does not seem likely given their significant other needs in the trenches, but it would not be a surprise to see them select another as extra insurance given the uncertainty around Aiyuk.
For Cowing, the best-case scenario in that sense would be the 49ers waiting until the seventh round or perhaps even to undrafted free agents to fill out the depth chart. However, should they take the approach of using one of their four picks across the fourth and fifth rounds on a wideout, it would be a poor reflection on Cowing and Shanahan’s opinion of him as a potential difference-maker for the Niners going forward.
Cowing’s hopes of a larger role will be dented further if the 49ers repeat the move of selecting a receiver early on day three. Few people outside of the prospects still available watch the final day of the draft with much anxiety, but Cowing would be forgiven for feeling at least a little nervous in just under three weeks.