The 49ers have revamped their wide receiver group with the additions of veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk this NFL offseason.

Former San Francisco defensive coordinator and current Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans detailed the qualities Kirk is bringing to the 49ers.

“A great young man,” Ryans told reporters Tuesday at the NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix.

“He really provided a lot to our locker room from a leadership standpoint of helping out. We had a lot of young receivers this past year. I thought Christian really did a good job of helping out those young guys. They were able to lean on him and gain some of his insight and the experience that he’s had from being a pro for a while.

“He can still make a lot of plays for you. A guy who can really stretch the field, making plays. Also, he can do it from the slot, [with the] perspective of running some of the choice routes and landing in man coverage. [The 49ers] are getting a really talented veteran guy who’s a really good locker room leader as well.”

Kirk played in Houston under Ryans during the 2025 NFL season, in which he appeared in 13 games with three starts and recorded 28 receptions, 239 receiving yards and one touchdown.

The 29-year-old wide receiver originally was selected No. 47 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. Born in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kirk played the first four seasons of his NFL career with his hometown team.

Kirk signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022, where he recorded 84 receptions, 1,108 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the team. After his role diminished, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound wideout was traded to the Texans in 2025.

This offseason, the 49ers signed Kirk to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million to help bolster their offense ahead of the upcoming 2026 season.

With his veteran leadership and physical skills, Kirk can become a major contributor to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense with quarterback Brock Purdy leading the charge.

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