The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver room shouldn’t be considered a weakness for the club, but it certainly can’t be marked down as one of their strengths going into the 2025 season.
Uncertainty looms up and down the receiving corps, and despite some quality players on the roster, none of the 49ers’ receivers made it onto a list of the top 32 WRs from Pro Football Focus.
Their list features six tiers, with Washington Commanders WR Deebo Samuel, Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton and Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams comprising the final tier to round out the list.
It makes sense going into the year that San Francisco isn’t represented on the list. Brandon Aiyuk would be there had he not suffered a major knee injury last season. He’s a huge question mark going into the year since it’s unclear when he’ll be able to return, and it’s unclear how effective he’ll be once he is back on the field.
Jauan Jennings, the presumptive No. 1 WR while Aiyuk is out, had a nice year last year, but he didn’t sneak into the top 32 after just one year of quality production. He’ll have to back it up again in 2025 to get any kind of consideration as one of the NFL’s best.
Second-year WRs Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing both have a ton to prove still, and veteran Demarcus Robinson isn’t in the realm of this kind of list. Neither is rookie Jordan Watkins.
There’s a chance the 49ers receiving corps is fine. If Aiyuk gets back healthy at some point, Jennings continues looking like a quality No. 2 option and Pearsall makes a Year 2 leap, that group will be really good. However, with newly-extended franchise QB under center, the 49ers can’t afford to have too many lapses at the position.
Purdy thrived when the 49ers’ receiving corps was loaded with playmakers, and he regressed last year as that talent dipped due to injury and other on-field struggles. He’ll need to be the rising tide that lifts all boats to some degree, but his supporting cast can certainly help if a couple of San Francisco’s receivers move into the top-32 conversation during the season.
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