Similar to the 49ers' cornerback competition, there are veteran members of the receiving corps who will be returning in 2024, and a healthy competition for playing time will ensue amongst the remainder of the group.
Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are the club’s designated starters along with Jauan Jennings, who has yet to sign the one-year tender that will keep him in the Bay Area through the 2024 NFL season. There is no doubt from general manager John Lynch or coach Kyle Shanahan that the Tennessee receiver will report as expected.
San Francisco also has yet to work out a long-term extension with Aiyuk, but hopes to keep the talented receiver in the Bay Area for years to come. Lynch gave an update on the situation after Day 1 of the NFL draft after the team used its No. 31 overall pick to draft receiver Ricky Pearsall.
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“I know that we're continuing to have positive talks with B.A.,” Lynch said. “We are really efforting to get something done with him. And we're excited about continuing down that path. And Brandon being a part of this team. Deebo is a part of this team and a big part of this team.”
“We feel great about that group and we feel like we just made it better with another really good addition to it who complements the group real well.”
Here is a breakdown of the 49ers wide receivers:
Returning:
San Francisco 49ers
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Deebo Samuel
Brandon Aiyuk
Jauan Jennings
Chris Conley
Ronnie Bell
Danny Gray
Tay Martin
Draft picks:
Ricky Pearsall
Jacob Cowing
Free agent:
Trent Taylor
Undrafted free agent:
Terique Owens
Pearsall undoubtedly will get opportunities to make his presence known, especially considering his route-running capabilities and physicality across the middle of the field. The Florida product racked up 1,027 yards from scrimmage in 2023 — 965 through the air and 374 after the catch.
The rookie could make an even more powerful impact because of his athleticism and exceptional hands. Pearsall caught 65 of his 87 targets in his final college campaign and only committed two drops according to PFF.com.
The former Gator’s goal will be to quickly build chemistry with Brock Purdy in order to solidify his place on the 49ers star-studded offense.
Of the returning wide receivers, Aiyuk, Samuel and Jennings have clear roles in Kyle Shanahan’s offense with the first two getting the lion’s share of the snaps while Jennings is a key component in certain down and distance situations. The remaining four receivers that are coming back in 2024 have their work cut out to get on the field in the year ahead.
Chris Conley’s role began to grow toward the end of the 2023 season, predominantly during special teams situations. The veteran wide receiver did make two impactful plays during the playoffs — one catch for 17 yards in the divisional win over the Green Bay Packers and another for 18 yards in Super Bowl LVIII.
It appeared that Shanahan and the coaching staff decided to go with Conley over Ronnie Bell during the postseason after the rookie struggled in the punt return game. The Michigan product was inactive during the postseason after registering six catches on 13 targets for 68 yards and three touchdowns.
Bell was on the field for only 183 offensive snaps (17 percent) and 112 on special teams (26 percent), but he could develop a role on the offense with a solid training camp performance.
Tay Martin is another receiver who has not seen substantial time on the field, but the coaching staff has seen enough to bring the Washington State product back for a third season in the Bay Area. Martin has spent most of his time on the practice squad with only 29 total snaps over two seasons — 25 on special teams.
Danny Gray was an intriguing pick for the 49ers in the third round of the 2022 draft but he has yet to be on the field for a significant amount of time. The speedy wideout ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and appeared to be the perfect match for now-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance.
Gray spent the entire 2023 season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury after appearing in 13 games and registering one catch for 10 yards in his rookie season. The SMU product was only on the field for 87 offensive snaps (10 percent) in 2022 and will need to prove to the coaching staff during training camp that he is ready for a role on the field.
The 49ers, however, may be looking elsewhere to get the element speed in 2024. Jacob Cowing was drafted by the 49ers as a fourth-round pick (No. 136) and could be the answer they‘ve been looking for to stretch the field on offense.
Cowing offers a shifty target for Purdy in the slot, which is where he lined up most often at Arizona, with 548 of the Wildcat’s 770 snaps originating on the inside. Cowing played three seasons at UTEP before transferring to Arizona where he closed out his five college seasons with 316 receptions for nearly 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns with a whopping 1,992 yards coming after the catch.
“There's not a route that [Cowing] can't run,” Shanahan said after the draft. “He starts outside the numbers and he’s got the speed to get on top of people and threaten with a go. He’s got the quickness. Inside he'd be a big problem with just how shifty he is. He can run screens and things like that.
“For his lack of size, he makes up with mentality. His mindset, when he does cut, he's always accelerating out of a cut. He's trying to violently go through people and when you're smaller, you hope they're faster and quicker, which he is, and anything that you wanna knock on a smaller guy he makes up for in his mindset.”
Cowing will be competing with a familiar face for 49ers Faithful as the returner for the club in Trent Taylor. The fifth-round pick for the 49ers in 2017 was on track to be one of the club’s top targets after a standout rookie season before being hit by the injury bug.
A back injury in 2018 limited his season but a complication with a foot injury in his third year kept him off the field for the entire season before the wide receiver signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 where he spent two seasons before landing with the Chicago Bears in 2023.
The receiving production Taylor had as a rookie remains his best statistical season completing 43 of his 60 targets for 430 yards and two touchdowns. His experience and knowledge of how Shanahan’s scheme works could provide an advantage on the field.
The last of the receiving newcomers is the son of Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, Terique. The 49ers legacy signed with the club as an undrafted free agent hoping to show enough during training camp to be awarded a spot on the roster or practice squad.
The 6-foot-2, 193-pound receiver attended Missouri State after one season at Florida Atlantic and caught 28 of his 47 targets for 528 yards — 184 after the catch, and four touchdowns in 2023. Terique has received less press than his fellow legacy draftees, potentially because he attended a smaller school, but now, he will have a chance to start anew, competing for time in a crowded receiving room.
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