The 49ers added a league-high 11 players at the 2025 NFL Draft, led by Georgia edge-rusher Mykel Williams with the No. 11 overall pick. San Francisco spent six of those picks on defense, including its first five. That did not stop them from attacking the remaining market, where general manager John Lynch added nearly 20 more undrafted rookies.

Without much room to work with in free agency, the 49ers have several holes for undrafted rookies to potentially fill. Arguably no team is better for unheralded players to begin their careers, with Brock Purdy, Elijah Mitchell, Isaac Guerendo and George Kittle flying past their initial expectations in the last decade. Whether it be injuries or other issues, San Francisco tends to be a hub for such players to receive life-changing opportunities.

In their ideal world, San Francisco will get all their veterans back at full strength in 2025 and return to title contention. Yet, that seems to be less of a reality each year. Projecting the careers of late-round and undrafted rookies is essentially a dart throw, but the 49ers are consistently able to produce hidden gems better than any team in the league.

WR Isaiah Neyor

Receiver is not typically a position the 49ers need help in, but their situation in the 2025 offseason provides a unique set of circumstances. San Francisco traded star slot receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders in March, paving the way for 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall to accept a full-time starting role. However, with Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a torn ACL, the position group remains a wild card.

Lynch signed a host of veteran receivers after trading Samuel, but one of his most intriguing additions came after the draft. San Francisco signed 6-foot-4 wideout Isaiah Neyor as an undrafted rookie, who immediately showed out in rookie minicamp. The Nebraska alum impressed the coaching staff with his size, athleticism and length. Neyor stood out more than arguably any other rookie during the team’s three-day event.

As a 6-foot-4, 220-pound wideout who ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, Neyor has always been on scouts’ radars for his physicality alone. He just failed to produce on the field at college, lowering his draft stock below the seven-round reach. Consistency was also a concern with Neyor, as he spent his final three years of college with three different schools. Just months before the 2025 NFL Draft, Neyor was in the college football transfer portal looking for his fourth different team.

Despite the apparent concerns, Neyor has too many God-given abilities to overlook. He would be a hidden gem on any NFL roster, but his fit with the 49ers makes perfect sense. If there is one element Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been missing, it is a big, deep threat receiver. Neyor could potentially grow into that role down the line, but he will have to fight for a roster spot over the summer.

RB Jordan James

Despite the overflowing amount of running backs on their roster, the 49ers drafted another one in the fifth round by taking Oregon’s Jordan James. The 23-year-old became the fifth running back San Francisco drafted since 2021, following Trey Sermon, Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price and Guerendo. James now joins a crowded backfield that already includes Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Taylor Jr. and Guerendo.

The logjam at the position has not led to any shortage of opportunities, even with McCaffrey leading the group. Few teams use more running backs per season than the 49ers, as injuries have cursed their backfield for over a decade. James might start his career buried on the bench, but his time will come sooner or later.

Article Continues BelowIn a loaded running back class, James does not have the physical attributes to match Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton or any of the top prospects. However, his collegiate production was still elite, rivaling any other player in the country. James recorded 1,267 rushing yards on 5.4 yards per carry in 2024, earning an elite 86.4 player grade from Pro Football Focus. Those results came one year after he posted an even better 92.0 grade in 2023.

Whether it was Guerendo, Mitchell or even going back to Raheem Mostert, the 49ers have had an absurdly high success rate with late-round rookies and career journeymen. Ironically, their only two draft busts in the last five years — Sermon and Davis-Price — were the only two drafted within the first three rounds. With James, San Francisco could potentially pull off the magic yet again.

WR Jacob Cowing

If you ask Carolina Panthers star rookie Tetairoa McMillan, Jacob Cowing is the best receiver on the 49ers’ roster. While McMillan would not rate his former Arizona teammate over Aiyuk or Jauan Jennings at the moment, he believes the 2024 fourth-round pick’s time will come sooner rather than later.

McMillan entered the 2025 NFL Draft as Arizona’s all-time leading receiver, an accomplishment he claims would not have been possible without Cowing. McMillan calls Cowing the “best receiver” he has ever played with and admitted to “stealing” certain parts of his game from him.

“He’s one of the best receivers I’ve ever played with,” McMillan said, via TheSFNiners.com. “Probably, honestly, the best receiver I’ve ever played with. There’s a bunch of stuff from my game that I’ve stolen from him. He’s definitely a guy that inspired me and motivated me and definitely helped me be the player that I am today.”

Cowing only managed 80 receiving yards as a rookie, but was that “dog” McMillan referenced in college. The speedster recorded 4,477 career receiving yards in his five-year career, including 1,882 yards through two years at Arizona. Cowing initially gained steam with a 1,354-yard season with UTEP in 2021, which he backed up the following year with another 1,000-yard campaign in his first season with the Wildcats.

With Samuel departing, the 49ers need another run-after-catch weapon on the field. The role is crucial to Shanahan’s offense, particularly with Purdy under center. San Francisco has several players who match the job description, but Cowing might be the team’s best bet. After entering the 2024 season with a fair amount of hype, many fans seem to have forgotten about Cowing. With a strong 2025 NFL offseason, he can easily get back on the radar with a big second year.