The 2025 NFL Draft class was very deep at the offensive skill positions, and while there wasn't a ton of top-end talent at the wide receiver position, there were a lot of guys after the first round that teams likely had in their "must-have" bucket of players.
The San Francisco 49ers went heavy on the defensive side of the ball in the first three rounds of the draft, adding Georgia pass rusher Mykel Williams, Texas defensive lineman Alfred Collins, as well as Oklahoma State sleeper linebacker Nick Martin. In the fourth round, they pivoted to the offensive side of the ball and took a deep sleeper at the wide receiver position: Speedy Ole Miss receiver Jordan Watkins.
Not many folks were talking about Watkins in their mock draft projections, and he was overshadowed by his own college teammate, Tre Harris, who ended up being a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers.
But so far this offseason -- and it's admittedly early -- Watkins is making some waves at 49ers OTAs.
Jordan Watkins making noise early on at 49ers OTAs
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required), Watkins caught multiple passes from Brock Purdy and showcased his electric speed in the process.
Barrows also noted that the rookies have almost all been in "learning mode" through the early portion of OTAs, with the exception of Watkins. Perhaps the 49ers saw something at rookie minicamp to lead them to believe that this guy was ready to hit the ground running.
Projected as a late-Day 3 pick by NFL.com, Watkins ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine after leading Ole Miss with nine touchdown receptions last season. Those nine touchdowns came on just 49 catches overall, giving Watkins a ridiculous target-to-touchdown ratio last year overall.
The 49ers thrive with players like this who can create in space because their offense is so good at giving guys opportunities to win after the catch. A player like Watkins may have only been a fourth-round pick on paper, but his skill set might lend itself to some early big contributions to this 49ers offensive attack.