In Week 9, the San Francisco 49ers returned a significant portion of their roster from injury en route to a 39-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. One of the now healthy players was wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, who played in his first contest since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 2.
The speedster was supposed to bring a homerun element back to an offense that had grown a bit stagnant over recent weeks. The red and gold definitely looked more explosive in Week 9, but Robinson had nothing to do with it.
In fact, it was fellow wideout Jordan Watkins who caught the game's biggest deep ball when he hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Watkins finished with four catches for 86 yards, good for 21.5 yards per catch. Now having stacked back-to-back solid performances, the youngster is making his case to be a mainstay in the offense.
Both Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins possess a similar ability to stretch the field, though the latter may be usurping his elder as the weeks progress. His astounding 22.4 yards per catch easily leads the team.
Robinson, in comparison, has logged just 13.3 yards per catch.
Jordan Watkins making his case to be 49ers' go-to deep threat over Demarcus Robinson
On Sunday, Watkins paced all wideouts with 56 dnaps. Robinson played just 37. Granted, it was his first game back, so it's quit possible the Niners were committed to easing him back into action. Still, it's notable that, in their first game sharing the field since Watkins has ascended, the Ole Miss product outdid his counterpart in every way.
Watkins may just continue this trend. Demarcus Robinson has failed to establish himself as an every-down pass catcher in his ten years as a pro. In fact, he has surpassed 500 yards in a season just once.
There is something to be said about having battle-tested veterans running routes in high-pressure situations. When the postseason comes, coach Kyle Shanahan may favor Demarcus Robinson strictly for his experience alone. However, if Jordan Watkins continues to develop his rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, there is a non-zero chance he runs away with the role.
When Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel return, it will likely be the two deep threats who fight for snaps in three-receiver sets. When all is said and done, don't be surprised if Jordan Watkins comes out victorious in the positional battle.
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