The biggest story for the San Francisco 49ers after Thursday night’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans was how good rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling looked. He hauled in seven passes for 63 receiving yards and looked the part out there going up against Tennessee’s first-string unit.
Stribling deserves a lot of praise for how he played, but his solid game overshadowed the play of another young wide receiver.
Jordan Watkins, drafted out of Ole Miss just like Stribling, also played quite well. He caught six passes for 59 yards so he basically put up the exact same numbers as Stribling.
Why didn’t he get the same amount of attention then?
Jordan Watkins also improved his stock in 49ers preseason game
Well, rookies are the shiny new thing. Watkins was last year’s shiny rookie wide receiver and had one solid preseason game in which he caught three passes for 56 yards, including one big gainer for 50 yards before injuries basically derailed his season and limited him to only a few opportunities. He had just two receptions for 26 yards in the regular season and only suited up for four games.
Stribling is the new guy this year, and all eyes were on him going into the contest because of the initial head-scratching when San Francisco selected him with its top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading out of the first round altogether.
Yet, Stribling got pretty rave reviews in OTAs and early in training camp, so his strong showing shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. He will have a chance to shine in the preseason, especially since the Niners seem unlikely to play their starters very much.
Watkins should not be slept on, though.
The top of the wide receiver depth chart is pretty set if everyone stays healthy, but he can definitely snag a spot on the roster if he plays well in training camp and does positive things in the next two preseason games.
The main thing is obviously staying healthy. The wide receiver depth chart has already been thinned so, if he Watkins can stay on the field, that will give him a leg up.
It may not be fair that Watkins was overshadowed by Stribling, but in the NFL, you become old news pretty quick. Watkins is still just 24 years old and has some upside, so he may not get the headlines.
But if he continues to steadily improve, he is a guy to keep an eye on the rest of the preseason.
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