What Could Have Been a Breakout Year for Two 49ers Rookies Is Now Stolen Before Fans Even Got to See It.QQ
The San Francisco 49ers invested NFL Draft capital into some offensive weapons last April, but those weapons have been robbed of a chance to prove themselves thus far due to injuries.
Both wide receiver Jordan Watkins and running back Jordan James have been sidelined all season.
San Francisco selected Watkins in Round 4 with the No. 138 overall pick in the 2025 draft, and the Ole Miss product impressed in training camp and even had a big play in the preseason. But he went down with an ankle injury and has not played since.
Watkins is expected to practice this week, but the Niners are most likely going to ease him into things. Even though their wide receiver corps has been decimated by injuries, they still have Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling even if Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are unable to go.
Still, the Niners would certainly like to see the rookie get some action this year because a lot of those guys will probably not be back in 2026. Pearsall is the only one who could realistically be with the franchise long-term, so Watkins needs reps if he is going to improve,
Turning to James, the 49ers selected him in Round 5 with the No. 147 overall pick. He looked solid in training camp but broke his pinky finger and has been on the mend since then. General manager John Lynch made comments suggesting the Niners saw him being ahead of the depth chart over second-year pro Isaac Guerendo, so once James is healthy, there is a decent chance he will become the third-string running back.
Sadly, the 49ers do not truly know what they have in James and may not for some time until he is healthy and gets an opportunity. But with both Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson ahead of him on the depth chart, it is unclear when that opportunity will come barring an injury.
It is unfortunate that both players have been robbed of a chance to contribute due to injuries. Both are on the mend, though, so we should see them at some point this season as they try to prove the Niners did not waste a pick on them.
