49ers finally have a special teams ace in the hole with Round 7 draft pick

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Montana v Tennessee
Montana v Tennessee | Ryan Brennecke/University of Montana/GettyImages

The San Francisco 49ers have not been very good on special teams for some time now. They have not had a truly great returner since Ted Ginn, but they may finally have a special teams ace in the hole in wide receiver Junior Bergen.

San Francisco selected Bergen in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While he was not much of a pass catcher at the University of Montana, he did impress as a returner. Bergen returned eight punts for touchdowns in his career.

Just keep in mind that the last time the Niners returned a punt for a touchdown was back in 2011 when Ginn did it against the Seattle Seahawks. The last time the 49ers returned a kickoff for a touchdown was in 2018, also against the Seahawks.

It is remarkable that San Francisco has had so few returns for touchdowns in recent memory. One would think the 49ers would get lucky somehow and take one to the house, but maybe they have just not had the requisite talent returning kicks to produce touchdowns.

A returned punt or kickoff for a touchdown is one of the most exciting plays in all of football, so the Niners are well overdue to have it happen.

Bergen could be just the guy to do that and could maybe give San Francisco something of an advantage on special teams, which is something that could not be said for quite a while.

In looking at the highlights of his punt returns, his speed and agility is evident. He has an uncanny ability to find the edge and get around defenders with his speed. While he will obviously be going up against superior talent in the NFL, the rookie's skills should transfer and make him a dangerous weapon the 49ers can employ:

It has been a long time since Niner fans could get excited about a punt returner. For the most part, many fans just hold their breath and hope that whoever is back there to receive the punt does not muff it.

That could all change in 2025 with Bergen.

We will have to see how he fares in training camp and preseasons games, but Bergen could end up being the special teams ace in the hole San Francisco has been seeking for quite some time.

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