Behind Mike Evans, the San francisco 49ers have no shortage of questions at wide receiver, stemming from who occupies the No. 2 role (likely between Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk) to which fringe veterans—Jacob Cowing, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, etc.—round out the back end of the depth chart.
Undrafted rookie Will Pauling isn't (and shouldn't be) viewed as one of those back-end options.
Grabbed by the Niners immediately after the 2026 NFL Draft's conclusion, the Notre Dame product brings some likable traits that would seem to mesh well with head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. According to a scouting report from The Draft Network, Pauling is an excellent route runner who can create plays out of the slot, finds soft spots in zone coverage and can be a go-to option on third down. In 2023 when he was with Wisonsin, Pauling netted a collegiate career-best 837 receiving yards.
But that might be where Pauling's best attributes end. And if he somehow winds up making San Francisco's 53-man roster by Week 1 (or at any point during the regular season), it'd likely be an indication things have gone terribly wrong for Shanahan's receiving depth chart.
Will Pauling has no business making 49ers' 53-man roster unless...
A massive knock against Pauling is the fact he's just 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds. While there've been plenty of short-statured wideouts to thrive at the pro level, Pauling's stature inevitably limits him to slot duties and will generate no shortage of concerns over his durability.
The 49ers don't need that after 2025's injury-plagued campaign.
That said, the Niners can safely worry about their experienced wide receivers' injury issues. Evans is coming off a banged-up year that saw him miss out on 1,000 yards for the first time in his Hall of Fame Career. Pearsall has appeared in just 20 games his first two seasons in the league, due to a variety of injuries, while Kirk has been oft-injured over the last three years, too.
Even Cowing and Watkins missed 2025 because of injury setbacks.
Needless to say, San Francisco is hoping the injury trend reverts back in the other direction, which would negate any need to keep Pauling around in any capacity other than a possible practice squad addition.
Should the need arise to lean on Pauling's services this season, it'd be an indication the vast majority of the 49ers' wide receiver depth chart has fallen victim to the injury bug.
And that'd be nothing short of a catastrophe (even though it wouldn't be Pauling's fault).
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