The 49ers unsurprisingly placed an emphasis on revamping their wide receiver room this offseason. While the selection of De’Zhaun Stribling with their top pick in the draft may have raised some eyebrows, it is a position group where the Niners look to be set up well for the present and the future.
But the crowded nature of the bottom half of the depth chart at receiver means there is likely to be a high-profile odd man out when the 49ers come to deciding on their initial 53-man roster later this year.
Stribling, Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk are all locks to make the roster. The 49ers will likely carry six receivers, setting the stage for a three-way battle between two former draft picks who have had limited opportunities to realize their potential and a veteran who shone in one of the biggest games of last season.
Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins are the frontrunners to fill those final two spots, though Junior Bergen cannot be completely discounted as a wild card given his potential upside as a returner.
Does Robinson have enough credit?
Robinson would appear to have the edge other both Cowing and Watkins given he has significantly more experience and was able to make a sporadic impact when called upon last season, his first year of a two-year, $8 million contract.
His most influential performance of the 2025 campaign came in the playoffs, when Robinson exploded for 111 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ wild-card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
That perhaps gave Robinson some credit in the bank with Kyle Shanahan but, considering Robinson had just 276 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, it’s debatable whether he has enough to guarantee beating out Watkins and Cowing given the draft capital the 49ers have invested in that pair.
An argument for the unproven pair
Both Cowing (2024) and Watkins (2025) were taken in the fourth round and have each flashed promise, albeit predominantly in training camp and preseason football, only to see their playing time restricted due to injuries.
Watkins played only four regular-season games in his rookie year after suffering a high-ankle sprain in his first preseason game, which saw him catch a 50-yard bomb from Mac Jones.
Cowing shone in his first preseason in the NFL but then had only four receptions for 80 yards across 15 regular-season games in 2024, though one of those catches was a 41-yard deep shot from Brock Purdy against the Kansas City Chiefs. After a frustrating start to his pro career, Cowing then had his entire 2025 season by a torn hamstring.
On the surface, the idea of Shanahan going with two unproven players who have already had durability issues over Robinson seems unlikely. However, they both have an intriguing blend of speed and route-running acumen and will count less against the cap combined than Robinson, whose cap hit for 2026 is $2.7 million.
That is not a massive sum by any means but there is an argument for a 49ers franchise that loves to stockpile late-round picks looking to get the 31-year-old’s contract off their books.
Robinson is unlikely to command more than a seventh-round pick at this stage in his career but, given a post-June 1 trade would save the 49ers $2.26 million in cap space and see them take on a dead money hit of just $438,867, it may behove San Francisco to find a trade partner who would pay that small price.
Of course, the 49ers being motivated to do so depends largely on Cowing and Watkins staying healthy and showing signs that they can earn Shanahan’s trust.
But the likelihood of Robinson improving on his impact from last year is low, and it would make more sense for the 49ers to go with two players who have the potential to be long-term contributors to the offense as the final two names on the wide receiver depth chart.
If the noises around Cowing and Watkins are positive as the 49ers prepare for the season, it would be no surprise to see the 49ers make a move to part with last season’s playoff hero.
