The San Francisco 49ers were among the most active teams in the 2025 NFL Draft, making 11 picks while putting a major emphasis on rebuilding the trenches. They also added some exciting skill-position players though, adding to their efforts to rebuild former star receiver Deebo Samuel.
Among the moves they made in free agency was bringing veteran wideout Demarcus Robinson on a two-year deal. Robinson has a reputation as a dependable option who's spent time with some of the best quarterbacks the league has to offer.
However, one of the 49ers' draft picks could wind up putting Robinson's spot in the rotation in danger before he even truly arrives in San Francisco.
New 49ers WR Jordan Watkins Will Challenge Demarcus Robinson for Snaps
Near the end of the fourth round, the 49ers selected Ole Miss receiver Jordan Watkins. He's a downfield threat with a 14.5 career yards per catch average, showcasing big-play ability with regularity. Watkins caught 49 passes for 906 yards and nine TDs this season, though a significant chunk of that production came in a 254-yard, five-TD performance against Arkansas.
Regardless, he has an intriguing skill set that head coach Kyle Shanahan will look to deploy all over the field. Given he's a rookie, Robinson still has an advantage, and the two-year deal he signed suggests he'll see snaps. That said, Robinson will turn 31 in September, and Watkins certainly represents a higher-upside player.
Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings figure to hold down the top three spots in the pecking order. Things are fairly open after that though, with Robinson, Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Russell Gage, and Trent Taylor all jockeying for position.
If Watkins can showcase some of that game-breaking ability throughout the summer, he may move ahead of the rest of the group by the time the season rolls around.
The 49ers will let this play out, and Robinson will probably start ahead of Watkins on the depth chart. Just don't be surprised to see the gap between them rapidly shrink until Watkins eventually takes over.