Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins Flashing at 49ers OTAs is Insignificant

OTAs means nothing for Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing.

Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jordan Watkins (17) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Two players on the San Francisco 49ers who need to impress with every rep they get are wide receivers Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins.

Both players are buried on the depth chart after the 49ers signed Mike Evans and Christian Kirk and drafted De’Zhaun Stribling. It’s not looking good for these two players. 

However, during Week 1 of OTAs, Cowing and Watkins were the top-performing players, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. While it’s good that they’re standing out, it’s insignificant.

Flashing in OTAs means nothing for Cowing and Watkins

Jul 23, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) hauls in a pass during the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

This was the case last year with Cowing and Watkins. They looked incredible during OTAs, but once training camp arrived, they plummeted, especially Cowing.

He suffered a hamstring injury that derailed his entire season. As for Watkins, he managed to get in more action and didn’t fall off a cliff like Cowing did immediately.

But once Watkins suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason opener, he became irrelevant. He was never used in the offense again despite the desperate need for a receiver. 

All that matters with these two players, especially Cowing, is how they look in training camp and the preseason. It starts with their health so that they can continue to build momentum. 

So far, they’ve managed to maintain that and their conditioning. They’ve also caught Kyle Shanahan’s eye with some improvements they’ve made early on despite the time missed.

“Jordan and Jake, we didn't get to see quite as much of. They all came back healthy. I was really excited how Jordan and Jake came back though, you could tell they came back, it wasn't just healthy,” Shanahan said.

“You could tell they've been putting work in and coming in here in shape, and stuff has allowed them to get farther ahead in these five weeks than just coming here to get shape. They've come here to play and work.”

Cowing and Watkins will need to hope that Shanahan maintains this viewpoint of them. They’re at the bottom of the depth chart.

Watkins will probably remain on the team no matter what happens, but he’ll be forgotten. Cowing is the one who needs to ensure he performs valiantly, or he will be cut.

This is why OTAs are insignificant for them. The only way they’ll raise their stock is if they do something noteworthy throughout training camp and the preseason consistently.

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