Teams ran roughshod over the 49ers’ defense last year, as they yielded 4.45 yards per carry, but much of that was because of Fred Warner’s second-level defense stopping the woeful run defense upfront. For reference, they were thirteenth in run stop win rate, second in rushing touchdown rate allowed, and second in missed tackles per rush attempt. The Niners also ranked eighth in yards before contact per rush attempt, meaning they needed to upgrade the defensive line drastically. That’s likely why four of their first five picks went toward the front seven, with the other pick going toward pickmaster general Upton Stout at cornerback.
That is to say: don’t expect much from this rookie class, at least for fantasy football. They took two return men in Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen, a third-string running back and a backup, Brock Purdy, the $265 Man.
| Rd | Pick | Player | Pos | College |
| 1 | 11 | Mykel Williams | DE | Georgia |
| 2 | 43 | Alfred Collins | DT | Texas |
| 3 | 75 | Nick Martin | LB | Oklahoma State |
| 3 | 100 | Upton Stout | CB | Western Kentucky |
| 4 | 113 | CJ West | DT | Indiana |
| 4 | 138 | Jordan Watkins | WR | Ole Miss |
| 5 | 147 | Jordan James | RB | Oregon |
| 5 | 160 | Marques Sigle | S | Kansas State |
| 7 | 227 | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Indiana |
| 7 | 249 | Connor Colby | OG | Iowa |
| 7 | 252 | Junior Bergen | WR | Montana |
Round 4, Pick 138: Jordan Watkins, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss (5’11”, 196 lbs)
TALENT
Watkins is a strong receiver at the catch point, and his 18.5 yards per reception in 2024 belies his lack of a second gear (though he is swift). He’s a strong receiver who doesn’t get phased by contact at the line of scrimmage or the point of attack. He struggles with being just a bit too small for his skillset (his catch radius betrays his skills; he would be deadly in a 6’4″ body). He’s a YAC monster with a little bit of skinny Deebo. Watkins is also a good punt returner and will find himself on a roster thanks to that, at least to begin with.
NFL Comparison: Jamal Agnew
Predraft Grade: 6th Round
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
WR1 Brandon Aiyuk
WR2 Jauan Jennings
WR3 Ricky Pearsall
WR4 DeMarcus Robinson
WR5 Jordan Watkins
WR6 Jacob Cowing
WR7 Russell Gage
WR8 Trent Taylor
WR9 Isaiah Hodgins
WR10 Junior Bergen
Look at that dang depth chart. The top three are locked and loaded, with DeMarcus Robinson likely acting as a supersub to all three of them and a blocking receiver. Thanks to Junior Bergen’s selection, I had to include all ten guys under contract with the 49ers, but WR5 is generous for Watkins. We’ve seen some offseason work between Cowing and Purdy, which could get him on the field over the fourth-round rookie. WR7 through WR9 are vet camp bodies, though one could usurp Watkins, too. Watkins is on the roster for trick plays and special teams, and that is not the anatomy of a fourth-rounder who gets enough opportunities to matter.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Fewer than 2% of wide receivers drafted on day three finish inside the top 36 in their rookie season. Jordan Watkins will have a couple of highlights, but he won’t break into fantasy football relevancy.
Round 5, Pick 147: Jordan James, Running Back, Oregon (5’9″, 205 lbs)
TALENT
James is a bouncy little jackrabbit of a running back with a good enough stiff arm to keep arm tacklers at bay. He always falls forward when tackled, but struggles to break straight-on tacklers. Oregon used him all over the field, sometimes lining him up wide or in the slot. James builds his whole game around making defenders not get a chance to get a clean shot on him, but he is far more downhill a runner than that sounds. He isn’t the most technically sound pass blocker but willing to take on blitzers.
James doesn’t have a deep bag of tricks, and he’s mostly a one-cut-and-go runner who can find extra yards by falling forward, but rarely makes it out of a pile. He is fast enough to jumble up highlight runs, but they all have one thing in common: the first person who gets a good hit on him takes him down. He also has exactly one gear, and he does nothing to let his blocks develop in front of him, causing him to get more than is blocked in a messy pile rarely.
NFL Comparison: Pierre Strong
Predraft Grade: 7th Round
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
RB1 Christian McCaffrey
RB2 Isaac Guerendo
RB3 Jordan James
RB4 Patrick Taylor
Opportunity here depends on Christian McCaffrey’s Achilles tendons holding up to a full season of work. The 49ers appear to believe in CMC’s tendons: They traded Jordan Mason, they didn’t sign a running back in free agency, and Jordan James was their only attempt to address the position. They seem very happy with a CMC/Guerendo backfield, with James sprinkled here and there.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
His entire opportunity depends on a CMC injury, which, if it happens, likely means he is in a 70/30 split with Guerendo leading the backfield. In that case, I still have very little interest in Jordan James in redraft leagues. However, if both CMC and Guerendo suffer injuries, he is a must-add player.
Round 7, Pick 227: Kurtis Rourke, Quarterback, Indiana (6’4″, 220 lbs)
TALENT
Rourke could be something in the NFL, but he needs a lot of seasoning before getting there. Unfortunately, he’s already 24 years old, meaning the seasoning might be completed on Rourke. When Indiana tasked him with gripping & ripping the football, he did well. He has excellent pocket composure (though Indiana’s strong line made that easy), which led to plus ball placement and accuracy. Rourke also kept this trait, throwing downfield with reasonable accuracy and placement on his 20+ air yard throws. Unfortunately, that’s where the good traits stop for Rourke.
Rourke struggles to get through his reads and frequently locks onto one player, hoping that his physical skills will overcome the fact that his intended target has a defensive player riding him like Yoda. Against Michigan State, he failed to make a second read on any of his plays, staring down receivers on his first two passes before the Hoosiers had him throw three-straight screen passes. When he does read the field, it doesn’t mean that he makes good decisions. You can see him go through his progressions and lock onto a receiver anyway. He isn’t making the best throw, but making the one he decided to make.
Draft Comparison: Derek Carr
Predraft Grade: 4th Round
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
QB1 Brock Purdy
QB2 Mac Jones
QB3 Kurtis Rourke
QB4 Tanner Mordecai
Rourke sits behind Brock Purdy, whom the 49ers spent $265 million on this offseason, and Mac Jones, whom the 49ers (apparently) almost drafted before taking mega-bust Trey Lance. There’s zero chance Rourke plays unless things go catastrophically wrong for the 49ers.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I’m through almost all my rookie drafts, and I’m not even seeing anyone take him there, so I don’t think drafting him in 2025 redraft leagues is the best idea.
Round 7, Pick 252: Junior Bergen, Wide Receiver, Montana (5’9″, 183 lbs)
TALENT
Junior Bergen is a wide receiver in name only. Full disclosure: I did not watch this guy’s predraft, and there is no tape of him playing wide receiver on YouTube. The 49ers already peg him as a return specialist, and he should thrive in that role. He’s a fast and elusive receiver with incredible contact balance and an ability to maximize kicks. However, he has zero relevance as a wide receiver.
NFL Comparison: Richie James
Predraft Grade: UDFA
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
WR1 Brandon Aiyuk
WR2 Jauan Jennings
WR3 Ricky Pearsall
WR4 DeMarcus Robinson
WR5 Jordan Watkins
WR6 Jacob Cowing
WR7 Russell Gage
WR8 Trent Taylor
WR9 Isaiah Hodgins
WR10 Junior Bergen
I listed every player in the 49ers’ depth chart to underscore how little Bergen will play receiver this season.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
He has zero relevance this year for fantasy football; he isn’t even the first return man that the 49ers drafted this season.
