Reports of the San Francisco 49ers working the phones for a wide receiver make plenty of sense. The odds that Jordan Watkins is ready for the beginning of the season after suffering a high-ankle sprain are slim. He was expected to contribute early.
The 49ers might be unsure whether Jauan Jennings is ready, as he deals with a c(ontract)alf. Brandon Aiyuk’s timetable is likely closer to Week 6 than Week 1. And Demarcus Robinson’s suspension feels inevitable.
That’s a ton of firepower that Brock Purdy can’t throw to. The 49ers front office isn’t going to go all in on trading a wide receiver. Still, they understand they can’t throw Purdy out there Week 1 with only Ricky Pearsall — a first-round talent with enormous expectations, but an unproven first-round talent.
Let’s discuss three trade targets who could help the Niners without them parting ways with a valuable draft pick or forcing them to dip into their salary cap.
Alec Pierce
Kyle Shanahan has a propensity to be attracted to speed. I mean, when your offense is predicated on creating explosives, how could you not? The Indianapolis Colts just named Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback. Indy is also invested in Michael Pittman and Adonai Mitchell. Josh Downs is the ideal slot receiver, meaning Alec Pierce could be the odd man out as he enters a contract year.
Pierce was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pierce is coming off a career year in receiving yards, so Indy may be reluctant, but his contract extension, or lack thereof, status might take precedence. Pierce is 6’3″, 208 pounds, so he has the frame to be a reliable blocker. His cap number this season is $4.1 million. Sure, he’d be expensive next offseason if the 49ers brought him back, but that feels like one of those “We’ll cross that bridge once we get there” deals.
Pierce may cost more than the 49ers are willing to part with, but it’s understandable why. He has an argument for being one of the best deep threats in the league, at least based on last year. Pierce had seven receptions of at least 40 yards. He had two other receptions of 39 yards. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Colts quarterback situation, but he could’ve had a few more completions if the throws had been more accurate.
Pierce isn’t your typical scrappy, coach’s son, gritty, wideout, far from it. He’s a player who has hit over 21 miles per hour, per Next Gen Stats. Pierce is one of the fastest players in the NFL. That’s not an exaggeration, either. Next Gen Stats tracks the fastest ball carrier each week. Pierce made the list five times in 2024:
Week 1 -2nd – 21.11 mph
Week 1 – 6th – 20.95 mph
Week 5 – 12th – 20.68 mph
Week 5 – 17th – 20.35 mph
Week 17 – 11th – 20.39
Pierce isn’t making big plays because he’s a student of the game. He’s a 6’3″ wideout who ran a 4.41 40-yard dash with a vertical jump in the 93rd percentile. He can scoot.
Let’s say the 49ers felt the need to part ways with a third or fourth rounder. If Pierce gives you anything close to what Emmanuel Sanders did in 2019 at the trade deadline, it would go down as highway robbery. And if he ends up producing in a way that most wideouts do in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, the Niners’ decision would be made when it comes to Jauan Jennings’ extension. Pierce could re-sign, giving San Francisco one of the strongest receiver rooms in the NFL with Aiyuk, Pearsall, and Pierce.
Pierce can play. It’s a matter of what the Niners are willing to pay and whether he’s truly available.
Romeo Doubs
Jayden Reed is closer to a Deebo Samuel clone and would be a better fit, but Doubs enters the final year of his contract and has already been on the block. Doubs is productive. He’s caught at least 40 passes in each of his three seasons.
The reason Doubs would make sense in this receiver core is his separation. He clears Reed in that category. Per Next Gen Stats, Doubs averaged 2.4 yards of separation on routes underneath 10 yards, 2.9 at the intermediate level, and 2.5 yards on passes beyond 20 yards. Doubs would do well on underneath routes in Shanahan’s offense, like slants, curls, and shallow crossing routes.
The Packers drafted Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Whether it’s Doubs, Reed, or Dontayvion Wicks, somebody will be on the outside looking in. If the Niners are on the prowl for a wideout, they should have their eyes on Doubs.
Ja’Lynn Polk
The New England Patriots drafted Ja’Lynn Polk in 2nd round of the 2024 NFL Draft. But that was a previous regime with a different offensive coordinator. The 49ers had to have studied Polk closely, as Polk went a few picks after Ricky Pearsall.
New England brought in Stef Diggs, Mack Hollins, and drafted Kyle Williams in the third round. Those moves suggest they are moving on from their 2024 draft picks.
Polk’s rookie season was rough statistically. He caught only 36.4 percent of his passes, had a negative catch rate over expected and receiving EPA, and gained only 11 yards after the catch on 12 receptions.
Was that a Polk problem or a Patriots issue?
Polk is a good athlete. He’s not a speed demon, but he was as reliable as you can be in college. Polk might end up being cut by the Patriots for all we know, so he’d be the most inexpensive acquisition of the three, and would be under team control on a rookie contract for pennies during the next three years.
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