The San Francisco 49ers made a concerted effort to address their defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, using their first five picks on that side of the ball.
However, San Francisco added a few skill players on offense with their remaining five picks, including an interesting seventh-round pick from the FCS ranks. With the No. 252 overall pick, the 49ers took wide receiver Junior Bergen out of Montana State.
Bergen was a special teams weapon at Montana State, averaging 16.7 yards per punt return and 23.9 yards per kick return over his four-year collegiate career. The 5-foot-11 wide receiver has eight punt return touchdowns and a kick return score on his resume.
With that in mind, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes that Bergen’s path to making the team will be through special teams.
"We brought him here to be a returner and try to make the team that way," Shanahan said via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Last season, the 49ers were ranked 20th in yards per punt return (9.2), but 10th in yards per kick return (28.5). Jacob Cowing, whom San Francisco selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, handled the punt returns last season.
However, the 24-year-old wide receiver will have some competition with Bergen, who was an All-Big Sky selection on special teams and offseason.
Last season with the Grizzlies, the explosive playmaker had 48 receptions for 542 yards and three touchdowns. Bergen’s best season as a receiver was in 2023, when he had 59 receptions for 791 yards and five touchdowns.
As a seventh-round pick, Bergen knows the odds are stacked against him to make the 53-man roster automatically. However, he was the best return specialist in the FCS, which could give him the inside track to make the team.
If Bergen showcases that game-breaking ability in the preseason, the 49ers could have their version of KaVontae Turpin.