Niners Nation
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.
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...
