The San Francisco 49ers receiving corps is in a strange place heading into the 2025 offseason. There are big changes coming for that group, but the lengths the team will need to go to overcome those changes is still a huge question mark.
Deebo Samuel is all but guaranteed to be released or traded by the 49ers either before or when free agency begins. Removing him from the top of the depth chart fundamentally changes the way San Francisco’s offense looks.
However, removing Samuel isn’t the only change atop the WR depth chart. Brandon Aiyuk’s status is still uncertain for the start of the season while he recovers from a major knee injury he sustained on Oct. 20 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jauan Jennings seems to be a sure thing as a favorite target for quarterback Brock Purdy, but the other two WRs who figure to be in the mix for playing time are 2024 draft picks Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing. Neither player got enough time to cement themselves as any kind of sure thing heading into 2025.
This is where the biggest offseason question mark arises for the 49ers. How do they address their need at receiver?
There are only two options with free agency and the draft, but the investment in the position could vary dramatically. Do the 49ers use an early Day 2 pick on a receiver? Do they use a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection? They could draft multiple receivers, or draft one late and sign another. That leads to a whole other question about how much to invest in a free agent if they go that route. Would they be okay bringing in somebody like Van Jefferson? Or would they want a higher-end veteran like Chris Godwin?
Perhaps the 49ers have enough in-house to allow Aiyuk to come along slowly. It appears they’ll need more help in the receiving corps if they want to have a well-rounded group. How far they go to address that need will tell us a lot about how the team feels about Aiyuk’s path to a return, and how they project Pearsall and Cowing’s contributions in Year 2.