SANTA CLARA — Young 49ers wide receivers Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing want to make substantial contributions during the 2026 NFL season.The 49ers supplemented their receivers room during the offseason with several new faces, including Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. But position coach Leonard Hankerson believes the two young returning receivers could also be factors.
“I would say both [Watkins and Cowing] are taking a step,” Hankerson said on Tuesday. “Jordan came in, fourth-round pick last year, and as a receiver, it’s tough already in this offense with the expectations of how you are going to do things, having the mindset of wanting to be the man.
“And then reality hits because of you have a lot of learning to do. Things that you have done in college may not work here.”
Wideouts in coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme have historically had a tough time acclimating during their first season. Players are expected to know where to line up, understand several various pre-snap motions and learn routes for all three receiver positions, at minimum....