How Rookie Jordan Watkins is Standing out to the 49ers

The 49ers have taken notice of rookie Jordan Watkins, and it isn't primarily because of how he's performing on the field.

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) smiles as he scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Ole Miss defeated Duke 52-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The wide receiver position is the most injured on the San Francisco 49ers right now.

Brandon Aiyuk was always expected to be missing as he works his way back from a torn ACL and MCL. 

But now the 49ers are without Jauan Jennings (calf) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring). Ricky Pearsall is back, but he’s currently limited. 

That means there is an abundance of opportunities for other players to step up, including rookie Jordan Watkins. He can benefit from the injuries to his peers.

In fact, Watkins is standing out to the 49ers, and it goes beyond what he’s doing physically performance-wise. 

“Another guy we're impressed with mentally,” said offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak on Watkins. “He did a good job in the spring, obviously he had a good OTAs, but coming back and just starting to stack days and stack in the mental, that's the strain on a rookie. 

“Obviously, the strain on your body, but then the mental strain of come showing up to practice every day and being on it. And he does that, right? He has shown that he can handle the mental load. He does a really good job and he's just got to keep getting better and keep showing up to practice and getting after it.”

Making plays is amazing and all, but for a rookie on the 49ers, what will impress the coaches most, especially Kyle Shanahan, is being sharp with the playbook. 

This offense is by no means a walk in the park. It arguably is one of the most complex in the NFL. Players tend to take a whole season before they feel like they’re fully embedded into the 49ers’ offense. 

For Watkins to be standing out as a rookie on the mental side, it says a lot. It means the 49ers can trust him and increase his opportunities. 

That’s largely why Shanahan is reluctant to play rookies in the past. He hasn’t been able to have that trust in them.

However, if Watkins continues to be mentally on point, along with making plays, he will have Shanahan thinking of ways to get him on the field.

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