The 49ers were Split on Whether to Draft Wide Receiver Jacob Cowing

Sounds like Cowing needs a big offseason or he might not make the team.

Oct 27, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) on a runback against Dallas Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin (29) at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

This probably is not what Jacob Cowing wanted to hear.

The 49ers drafted Jacob Cowing in Round 4 last year. He was the second wide receiver the 49ers had taken after Ricky Pearsall in Round 1. During the season, Cowing returned punts but not particularly well. As a receiver, the 49ers hardly ever used him. He got six targets and four catches.

This week on Chris Simms' Podcast, 49ers general manager John Lynch revealed that the 49ers weren't 100 percent sold on taking Cowing with that pick.

"There are some gnarly close calls," Lynch said. "Last year in the fourth round, we took a receiver, Jacob Cowing. We were having trade discussions, so we got down to like 1:45. Then, it was going to be Cowing or a linebacker. Kyle and I like listening to our scouts. So I'm like, 'Kyle, we gotta go.' And he like, 'No, we've got 45 seconds.' So I said, 'OK, show of hands, who likes the linebacker and who likes Cowing.'

"And it was really close, like right down the middle. I'm like, 'Kyle, we're going.' And he's like, 'Hold on, we have plenty of time.' Thirty seconds left. Another show of hands. Now there's 20 seconds. And he says, 'One more time, throw them up.' I get the decision. I turn it in. I think we went down to like two seconds before we got the pick in. And you can forfeit your pick. So that was the closest call we've ever had. That was a little hairy."

Lynch has said numerous times this offseason that the 49ers do their best in the draft when they have consensus. Consensus has been his word of the offseason. Clearly, the 49ers didn't have consensus or conviction when they took Cowing. They weren't "convicted" about him, as Lynch would say.

Unsurprisingly, this year the 49ers drafted another wide receiver in Round 4 -- Jordan Watkins. I'm guessing they had consensus when they took him.

Sounds like Cowing needs a big offseason or he might not make the team.