The San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver unit will look vastly different to start the 2025 season, as Deebo Samuel is with the Washington Commanders, and Brandon Aiyuk is still rehabbing from a torn ACL and MCL.
That being said, other wide receivers on the 49ers’ roster will have the opportunity to step up to replace Aiyuk and Samuel. The leading candidates for most 49ers fans are Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall Jr, which makes a ton of sense.
Jennings has been in San Fran for four-plus years, while Pearsall was taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and showed some flashes as a rookie.
However, 49ers star tight end George Kittle believes that second-year receiver Jacob Cowing is another name fans should keep an eye out for.
The veteran tight end was at the Dwight Clark legacy event in San Jose on Wednesday, where he was asked about many things regarding the team. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Kittle told the audience that Cowing showed up more hefty this year after weighing 168 pounds at the combine last year.
George Kittle Names Jacob Cowing as Someone to Watch
San Francisco would love to see the young receiver take that next step after a relatively quiet rookie season. The 5-foot-9 wideout played more on special teams (16% of snaps) than on offense (11% of snaps).
Cowing averaged 8.8 yards per punt return on 28 attempts last season. The former University of Arizona standout added four receptions (six targets) for 80 yards across 15 games.
The Niners drafted wide receiver Junior Bergen in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in hopes that he could be their primary kick and punt returner, opening up more playing time on offense for Cowing.
Cowing was a dynamic playmaker at the University of Arizona and UTEP, posting 316 catches for 4,477 yards and 33 TDs.
In his last year at Arizona, he had 90 receptions for 848 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s not the tallest wideout, but if you get the ball to Cowing in space, he can create an explosive play. The 49ers hope that will be the case with OTAs on the horizon.