The San Francisco 49ers' free-agent pickup of veteran wide receiver Mike Evans alleviated the urgent need to grab a topflight pass catcher early in April's NFL Draft.
But it didn't rule out the possibility entirely.
True, the Niners' receiver room looked pretty bleak heading into the offseason. Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne were both free agents, and Bourne already signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Brandon Aiyuk's days in San Francisco are coming to a close, too, after his AWOL actions last fall. And with third-year pro Ricky Pearsall boasting an extensive injury history already, head coach Kyle Shanahan's depth chart is awfully thin on proven options.
Evans and fellow free-agent addition Christian Kirk help matters a lot. But neither player should automatically be seen as long-term fixtures, especially if the 49ers want a youthful pipeline to eventually replace both veterans a few years down the road.
That helps explain one of the Niners' recent actions leading up to the upcoming draft.
49ers to host Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion on pre-draft visit
According to NFL insider Ryan Fowler, San Francisco is hosting one of the promising receiver prospects coming out in this class on a top-30 visit, Texas A&M's KC Concepcion:
Source: The San Francisco 49ers will host Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion for a 30 visit.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 19, 2026
Potential option at 27 for GM John Lynch.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Concepcion was already a likable target for Shanahan and Co. at No. 27 overall prior to the Evans signing, and it wasn't hard to find the former appear on many a mock draft for the 49ers.
Should the Niners ultimately go with Concepcion toward the end of Round 1, he'd likely have to make his impact felt on special teams before turning into a viable offensive weapon right away. There are simply too many proven options ahead of him on the depth chart at this point.
That said, given the complexity of Shanahan's offense, paired with the head coach's reputation of being tough on his younger wideouts, that slower path toward full development might be ideal.
If anything, San Francisco using such a visit on a player of Concepcion's ilk suggests it's willing to consider adding even more wide receivers despite grabbing two veterans on the free-agent market.