Fact or Fiction: The 49ers Were Smart to Draft Jordan Watkins Last Year

Jordan Watkins was the 138th pick in the 2026 NFL draft. So, while he was unproductive in his first year with the San Francisco 49ers, the team also might not have missed out on much given his draft cost. Did they miss out on anyone else?

The San Francisco 49ers need to get more from Jordan Watkins

It is notable that four receivers went from picks 102-110, and then a receiver did not go until pick 128. Four receivers went from 128-138, and then a receiver was not taken until 158th. So, the receivers look like they went in tiers, and Watkins was the last of four in his tier.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith went 158th, and Tory Horton went 166th. Then, the next receiver did not get taken until 203rd overall. So, it is hard to say that there are any receivers they definitely should have taken before Watkins, other than those two, without saying they would have had to reach.

Lambert-Smith had five catches for 51 yards, which is a touch more than Watkins had in his unproductive rookie season. Horton was injured, similar to Watkins. However, he produced 13 catches for 161 yards in just eight healthy games.

It is arguable whether the team really should have taken Lambert-Smith over Watkins, but right now, the Seattle Seahawks likely feel a lot more comfortable about their fifth-round receiver from the 2025 draft than the 49ers do.

Still, the two most productive receivers that were taken after pick 100 in that draft were Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. Both were drafted by the Tennessee Titans, and both topped 400 yards as rookies. However, the Titans drafted Carnell Tate and signed Wan’Dale Robinson to step in over both. On a per-game basis, Horton would have been third behind those two, but he ended up as the fifth best after pick 100 behind Tez Johnson and Jaylin Lane.

So, it is hard to say that the 49ers severely missed out on Horton by taking Watkins. At this point, the only argument that can be made against the pick is that none of the receivers have shown any flashes and perhaps it was a better draft to go with a different position.

The best rookie seasons from players drafted after pick 138 were defensive lineman Jordan Phillips and Elijah Roberts, as well as tight end Orande Gadsen. If the team missed on the pick, that is what they missed on.

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