Getty
Jordan Watkins was the 21st wide receiver selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
At the start of 2025 OTAs, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy found himself without several of his superstar receivers from recent years.
Deebo Samuel was traded by the 49ers in the offseason, Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from an ACL injury, and even promising second-year player Ricky Pearsall missed OTAs because he is dealing with a hamstring injury.
With the 49ers wide receiver room lacking some of the depth it has boasted in recent years, they are likely going to need an unproven player to step up and play like a starting player.
Fortunately for San Francisco, one young wideout has been excellent during training camp: rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins. Purdy had bold praise for Watkins at his OTA media availability on Wednesday June 4, 2025.
“Jordan Watkins has been balling from day one really,” Purdy said. “He’s come in and he’s done everything pretty right and he’s been on point. He’s had a lot of explosive plays down the field.”
49ers insiders have been singing Watkins’ praises since the start of OTAs in May 2025, with 49ers insider Vic Tafur saying he was impressed by Watkins as early as Day 1 of OTAs.
But what Watkins’ quarterback thinks of him is ultimately the most important. So, 49ers fans should be very encouraged by Purdy’s comments on the rookie.
Watkins Put Together a Great Résumé in College
Jordan Watkins may not have been a first-round draft prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. But there were plenty of trends throughout his play in college that hinted that he could be good in the NFL.
For one, Watkins was very healthy throughout his collegiate career. In his three years at Ole Miss, he sat out only one game: their 2024 season-opening blowout of Furman.
For another, Watkins’ stats steadily improved. By his final year in 2024, he was among the SEC’s best wide receivers. He racked up 906 receiving yards and tied for the conference lead with 9 touchdown catches.
Finally, Watkins showcased his skills admirably at the 2025 NFL combine. Notably, he recorded an elite 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds, and the 49ers were also impressed with his performance in the gauntlet drill.
Upton Stout hit 19.47 mph and was the fastest DB during the drill.
Jordan Watkins had the 2nd fastest gauntlet drill for WRs and Shanahan said, “He was our best graded guy going through the gauntlet.”
That combination of raw speed and proven collegiate production inspired the 49ers to select Watkins with the 138th overall pick in the 4th round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Experts Think the 49ers Have Holes at Receiver
In an article released by Bleacher Report on June 5, 2025, NFL expert Matt Holder picked the biggest remaining question for every NFL team following OTAs.
For the 49ers, he wrote, “Does the offense have a wide receiver problem?”
He touched on the aforementioned trade of Samuel and injury to Aiyuk, and included a quote from 49ers insider Matt Maiocco that seems telling about the status of Aiyuk’s health.
“Aiyuk’s status remains in question for the early stages of the season,” Maiocco wrote for NBC Sports Bay Area.
The 49ers have stars all over their offense, but it’s sounding more and more like they will open the season without proven players at wide receiver.
So, if Watkins’ star power can carry over from OTAs to actual games in the fall, this won’t be the last time Purdy makes headlines with his comments about Watkins.
Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Las Vegas Raiders for Heavy sports. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman
More Heavy on 49ers
Loading more stories
