Klay Kubiak Identifies One 49ers Position Group That's Better This Season

It's not surprising Klay Kubiak thinks this.

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The San Francisco 49ers have a capable roster, but there are plenty of intriguing questions lying ahead of them in training camp.

And that has to do with the position groups. They massively overhauled the wide receiver room, particularly after it became clear where Brandon Aiyuk stood and Jauan Jennings wanted more money than the 49ers were willing to offer.

Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak believes the 49ers are better at wide receiver. In fairness, on paper, he's not wrong. Ricky Pearsall is widely expected to have a breakout season, while the additions of Christian Kirk and future Hall of Famer Mike Evans have significantly strengthened the position group.

From what's been shown at training camp thus far, drafting De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round looks promising too, especially after a wide range of experts had contrasting opinions about his upside.

"Absolutely," Kubiak answered when asked about the improvement of the receiver corps at training camp. "I mean, Mike being in there is one thing. He's a vet, he's a pro, he knows how to work, he knows how to compete every day and get better.

"But in my opinion, that whole room, it's just taken a big step from last year to this year. There's continuity. There's guys who maybe missed time last year, between Jordan [Watkins] and [Jacob Cowing] in camp. But they're out there every day. They're getting better.

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi wideout De'Zhaun Stribling (WO35) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"And I just see a lot of growth across the board. And those guys come out every day with the right mindset. They're on their assignments, they're working, they're competing, and it's going to be fun to watch that room kind of become what it does over this next however many weeks of training camp.

"It's one of the positions where we have a lot of competition, and I'm excited to see where it goes."

It's easy to forget that Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins are on the roster because they haven't featured much. Cowing didn't play a single snap in 2025, while Watkins had only two receptions himself. Injuries played a part in that, but both are healthy now and could carve out solid roles despite likely limited reps.

But the potential within the 49ers' wide receiver room feels greater than it did last year. If the group can stay healthy, the 49ers should reap the rewards with more depth, versatility, explosive playmaking, and reliable production throughout the season. This is especially important to help running back Christian McCaffrey after he led the team in receiving yards by a wide margin last season.