The San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver group can cause different reactions based on how you choose to view it.
If you are pessimistic, it could be a generally young and inexperienced group that could prove to be the Achilles heel for the Niners' offense this season. For those more glass-half-full inclined, the group is full of promise and possibilities, with the chance to surprise teams this season.
One thing is for sure: until Brandon Aiyuk returns, this is a unit without a clear-cut No. 1 option outside of Jauan Jennings, who has only one season of top-notch production surrounded by three solid yet unspectacular years before that.
The other veteran option is Demarcus Robinson, who has never eclipsed 600 receiving yards in a season (and only barely got over 500 last year, his career high) and is likely to be suspended for a few games to start the year.
That means it will be incumbent upon the young guys on the roster to step up and produce to fill the voids.
Yes, on the whole, the receiver group may not attract as much attention because of the presence of George Kittle at tight end and Christian McCaffrey at running back, but the unit cannot be a liability if the team hopes to rebound from a poor 2024 campaign.
So, how will the group shape up when final cuts are made and the initial 53-man roster is announced?
It's early, but here's how the unit could look.
49ers starting wide receivers
This particular mix will change a lot once Aiyuk and Robinson return from their injuries and suspensions. It's pretty likely that Aiyuk will start on the PUP list, while Robinson's suspension means he won't count against the 53-man roster to begin the year.
So we may see players "make" the team who will be cut once Robinson returns, presumably for Week 4 of the regular season. That leaves the de facto starting pair fairly easy to negotiate:
WR1 Jauan Jennings
WR2 Ricky Pearsall
Assuming health, these are clearly the best options for the Niners to start and receive the bulk of the offensive snaps.
49ers backup wide receivers
If one thing is true about head coach Kyle Shanahan, it's that he keeps a short leash on his wide receiver rotation, generally not using more than four guys on gameday if he can help it. He may dress a fifth, but that player is there for emergencies or special teams only.
The 49ers have generally kept six receivers on the 53-man roster, meaning there's room for four more, keeping in mind that the bottom two will likely be released in favor of Aiyuk and Robinson as they rejoin the team:
WR3 Jacob Cowing
W4 Jordan Watkins
WR5 Russell Gage, Jr
WR6/KR/PR Junior Bergen
This is a very, very young group, to say the least. Russell Gage hasn't played since 2022, and he's making the list, mostly on the strength of the 49ers needing someone who has played more than 15 games in his career and has six career targets (Cowing) or full-on rookies (Watkins and Bergen).
Once Aiyuk and Robinson return, this group will get a shakeup, but there have to be concerns heading into the season, with so much resting on the talent and growth of such a young crop of pass catchers.
