Jordan Watkins’ summer challenge: Win over 49ers coach who doesn’t love rookie WRs

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins emerged as a surprising standout during spring practices, impressing with his speed on deep routes and smoothness on crossing routes. Quarterback Brock Purdy specifically praised Watkins, noting he "popped out" to everyone.

However, head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a significantly more reserved assessment, describing Watkins' performance as merely "solid" with "some good days, some bad," calling it "normal." This aligns with Shanahan's famously high standards for rookie receivers, where only select players like Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk have earned substantial playing time early in their careers, while others were cut prematurely.

Watkins stated he was aware of Shanahan's demanding expectations beforehand and is receiving rigorous critiques from position coach Leonard Hankerson. He acknowledged making typical rookie mistakes in various aspects of the game but welcomes the tough coaching, recognizing the NFL's competitiveness.

Despite these errors, Watkins is receiving significant practice repetitions. Due to injuries sidelining Brandon Aiyuk (ACL), Ricky Pearsall (hamstring), and Jacob Cowing (hamstring), Watkins has been the third receiver in drills behind veterans Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson, and the third receiver integrated into team situations.

This presents a major opportunity for the fourth-round pick. Aiyuk's early-season absence and Robinson's potential suspension (related to a DUI) mean Watkins is firmly in contention to be the team's No. 3 or No. 4 wide receiver when the season opens in Seattle on September 7th. Watkins and fellow rookie Junior Bergen have also been handling punt return duties in recent practices, further highlighting his potential role.