49ers wide receivers coach says rookie has 'it' factor they're looking for

This offseason, the San Francisco 49ers made a few changes at wide receiver, dealing Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, signing Demarcus Robinson in free agency and allowing Chris Conley to sit on the market unsigned.

On top of those moves, San Francisco placed Trent Taylor on injured reserve, ending his season, and they’ll likely be without Brandon Aiyuk to start the year after he suffered a torn ACL in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.

With that, the 49ers are looking for someone to step up and be a reliable target for Purdy this season, especially early on if Aiyuk’s not ready or not feeling himself.

While there are plenty of options in San Francisco’s wide receiver room, rookie wideout Jordan Watkins could be the man for the job.

Watkins, 23, was a three-star recruit out of Butler Traditional High School in Louisville, Kentucky, before committing to Louisville in 2019. Over his two years with the Cardinals, he caught 43 passes for 586 yards and four touchdowns. However, in 2022, Watkins transferred to Ole Miss and appeared in 38 games over his final three seasons, recording 142 receptions for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Now, after San Francisco used a fourth-round pick on him, Watkins is impressing his position coach, Leonard Hankerson, who had a five-year NFL career of his own as a wide receiver.

“He has the speed to win at the first level,” Hankerson said. “He’s able to take the top off the defense and get downfield. On top of that, he has great hands. Just his mentality after the catch, he’s always trying to score, which we pride ourselves on, guys who can run with the ball in their hands. He has done that. He’s still raw, but he has that “it” factor, that speed that we could use. I’m excited about having him here. He’s taking a step in the right direction and I’m excited to see where he can get to.”

Just because Hankerson likes what he see, that doesn’t mean Watkins is a complete player.

“[Route-running] that’s an area where he still has to improve,” Hankerson said. “Getting out of the cuts a little bit quicker. With speed guys, because they’re moving at a faster pace, it takes them a little bit of time to get in and out of breaks. We’re always talking about speed. As long as I can get out of the cut faster than the defender, it doesn’t matter how long it takes me. But we want that speed and he has that.”

In an ideal world Watkins starts the season off a San Francisco’s fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart, but he may be given more opportunities throughout training camp and into the preseason. If he makes the most of them, he could earn himself a larger role in his rookie season.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers WR Jordan Watkins earns praise from his position coach