Tag: Jacob Cowing

3 49ers draft picks all dealing with same injury in 1st training camp

It’s a tough year to be a 49ers 2024 draft pick.

It’s been a tough training camp to be a 49ers 2024 draft pick. Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, wide receiver Jacob Cowing and running back Isaac Guerendo are all dealing with hamstring injuries.

Pearsall has yet to participate in any of the first four training camp practices because of his ailment. He’s on the non-football injury list, but the expectation is for him to join the club in practice when they resume activities Monday.

Guerendo was healthy to start camp. On Day 1 of practice he suffered a hamstring injury. Then Cowing went down with an injury that kept him out of Days 3 and 4. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Saturday after practice confirmed Cowing is dealing with a hamstring issue as well.

Rookies missing any practice is bad news. They’re the players most in need of reps. Hamstring injuries can also be tricky, so the 49ers might be extremely cautious in bringing those players back into the mix, leading to additional missed sessions.

On the other hand, as long as the hamstring injuries aren’t major they should be able to avoid missing significant time. If all three are back in time for the preseason opener where they can get in-game reps they should be able to catch up and make an impact.

For now the focus will just be ensuring they’re healthy as quickly as possible, and ensuring no more first-year players wind up having to miss time.

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49ers rookie WR Jacob Cowing earning big praise already

49ers rookie WR Jacob Cowing earning big praise from ESPN’s Louis Riddick

Jacob Cowing was one of the smallest players in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 5-foot-8, 168-pound wide receiver from Arizona is quickly showing that his size, or lack thereof, is as much of an asset as a knock.

Cowing fell to the fourth round in part because of his tiny stature. Even though he posted big production at UTEP and then Arizona, scouts worried about his ability to handle the bigger/stronger NFL.

The 49ers took a chance on Cowing at the end of the fourth round in April. He’s already earning a lot of praise from San Francisco media for his quickness and ability to get wide open and make plays. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick also chimed in with high praise for the diminutive dynamo.

“They drafted a guy in the 4th round who no one is talking about right now,” Riddick said. “This guy is just lightning in a bottle. He’s another guy who can work the interior of the field, between numbers, with blazing speed, great separation, great hands, and run after the catch.”

It’s still very early, but Cowing is off to a great start.

WR is most improved position group on 49ers roster

It’s pretty clear which offensive position group improved the most for the 49ers this offseason, although the bar to clear was not high.

The 49ers’ offense is in an interesting spot heading into the 2024 season. They’re returning virtually all of their starters on that side of the ball from 2023, but they had a couple of glaring weaknesses on their depth chart that didn’t get addressed as much as they might’ve liked in the offseason. Ideally San Francisco would’ve dramatically improved its offensive line or its tight end room in free agency and the draft, but instead its their receiving corps that looks like the most improved offensive group on the roster.

It’s easy to find the starters at receiver since Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are both returning. They’ll be the team’s top two options again. In 2024 there should be some dramatically improved depth though.

Jauan Jennings figures to be the third WR again, particularly since he’s such an effective blocker in the run game. This year though there could be some legitimate competition for snaps for Jennings though after a couple years of nobody really emerging as a credible offensive threat behind him at receiver.

The 49ers used the No. 31 overall pick to select WR Ricky Pearsall from Florida, and then they went back to the WR well with the final pick in the fourth round to take WR Jacob Cowing from Arizona.

While leaning on two rookies to help improve the receiving corps would typically come with some sizable question marks, it’s worth noting the bar for production isn’t high.

Five 49ers WRs outside of Aiyuk and Samuel caught passes last year. They combined for 42 catches, 551 yards and four touchdowns.

There’s a chance that even in a low-volume passing offense we see Pearsall eclipse the combined numbers by himself. He and Cowing together should certainly surpass them.

There’s always a chance the 49ers whiff on both picks and neither player is effective in the NFL, which would leave their receiving corps in a similar spot it was in last season when Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell and Chris Conley were seeing targets.

On paper for now though the receiving corps is dramatically improved from last season, and that’ll continue to be true even if just one of their two draft picks pans out.

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Don’t sleep on this 49ers Day 3 pick

Don’t sleep on this new #49ers wide receiver.

The 49ers’ selection of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 of the 2024 draft made plenty of waves regarding the future of San Francisco’s receiving corps. While speculation swirled about where he fit in the near and long-term, the 49ers made another addition to their receiving corps when they selected WR Jacob Cowing with the final pick of the fourth round.

Cowing’s 5-8, 168-pound frame is a big reason he slid, but it didn’t deter Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar from calling him the 49ers’ best sleeper in a list of underrated picks in this year’s draft.

Despite his frame, Farrar’s praise for Cowing is effusive thanks to the receiver’s deep speed and ability to win in the short areas of the passing game.

In 2023, the 5′ 8⅜”, 163-pound Cowing had six receptions on passes of 20 or more air yards on a team where the deep ball wasn’t a feature. His tape shows a lot of speed potential, and in today’s NFL, teams are less concerned with smaller receivers, given the use of motion and multiple deployments to keep them open, and away from bigger, more aggressive defenders.

And here’s Farrar talking about Cowing with NFL analyst Greg Cosell, who has been a huge Cowing fan since the receiver was at UTEP in 2021:

A sizable question mark about the 49ers going forward is whether they can continue stacking their offense with high-end playmakers. With the futures of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in question finding additional receivers to usher the offense into a new era will be key for San Francisco. Pearsall will get plenty of opportunities to be one of those players, but Cowing could certainly be a major part of the club going forward and another Day 3 gem who helps keep the 49ers’ Super Bowl window open.

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WATCH: 49ers 4th-round draft pick Jacob Cowing college highlights

Jacob Cowing highlights? Jacob Cowing highlights. Check out the #49ers 4th-round pick at WR:

The 49ers’ quest to revamp their receiving corps started with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. It continued at the end of Round 4 when they took Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing No. 135 overall.

Cowing didn’t measure in with great size at the combine where he came in at 5-8, 168 pounds. While that size may be a bit of an issue that limits him to working out of the slot in the NFL, he has plenty of athleticism to make a living playing from that spot.

At the combine Cowing clocked a 4.38 40-yard dash so he has the speed to take the top off a defense, but he’s not just a speed merchant. He works a lot in the short areas of the passing game where his ability to create separation makes him a potential go-to target on third downs and in the red zone for San Francisco.

Check out these highlight clips:

 

 

 

 

Instant analysis: Is there room on 49ers roster for WR Jacob Cowing?

Can 4th-round pick WR Jacob Cowing carve out playing time in a crowded 49ers WR corps?

The 49ers have created a logjam at wide receiver. That position group was already crowded by San Francisco’s selection of Florida WR Ricky Pearsall in Round 1, and it got more crowded at the end of Round 4 when they picked Arizona WR Jacob Cowing with the 135th overall selection.

Cowing will have a chance to compete for a roster spot. He’s undersized at 5-8, 168 pounds, but he has a versatile enough skill set that he should push for snaps as a slot option. In college he has some flashes as a deep threat, but he did a lot of work on routes in the short area of the passing game where he hauled in 39 of 51 targets for 357 yards and six touchdowns.

Gaining separation on short throws is something the 49ers’ wide receiver room lacks, so that’s where Cowing could make his mark as a rookie.

The snaps won’t be easy to come by though with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel atop the depth chart, and Jauan Jennings and Pearsall likely working as the third and fourth options. Veteran Chris Conley is back in the mix, as are 2022 third-round pick Danny Gray and 2023 seventh-round pick Ronnie Bell. The 49ers also brought back Trent Taylor who will likely be a return specialist if he makes the team.

With question marks beyond 2024 there could be a heavier snap load available in the near future, but there are a lot of players vying for one or two roster spots this year. Cowing will need to have an outstanding camp to prove he can hold down offensive snaps and contribute on special teams if he wants to have some kind of role as a rookie.

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Report: Arizona WR Jacob Cowing visiting 49ers on Wednesday

The Arizona WIldcats wide receiver grabbed 90 receptions with 13 touchdowns in his final season in Tuscon.

Although the NFL draft is nearly a week away, there is still time for prospects to make visits at different NFL facilities across the league.

On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers reportedly welcomed an All-Pac 12 honorable mention to town for a visit. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Jacob Cowing is visiting the 49ers on Wednesday.

Via @AaronWilson_NFL on Twitter:

After three seasons at UTEP, Cowing transferred to Arizona for his final two seasons of college football. At Arizona, Cowing had back-to-back seasons with 85 or more receptions. In his senior year, Cowing recorded 90 catches for 848 yards while snatching a career-best 13 touchdowns. Cowing’s 13 touchdown receptions tied for sixth-best in the country last year.

Cowing put an exclamation mark on the end of his college career with seven catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. Cowing was named Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP after his red-hot performance against the Sooners.

After the season, Cowing was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

The first round of the NFL Draft is set for next Thursday, April 25.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Cardinals to bring in Arizona WR Jacob Cowing

Cowing is a small but fast receiver who played high school ball in Maricopa, Arizona.

The Arizona Cardinals continue to look at wide receivers among the prospects in the 2024 NFL draft. One receiver they have at least some interest is a local product.

According to Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler, the Cardinals are using a top-30 meeting on Arizona wideout Jacob Cowing.

Cowing played high school ball and Maricopa High School.

Cowing is small and fast. He is 5-foot-8 and 168 pounds. He ran the 40 at the combine in 4.38 seconds.

He played three years at UTEP before transferring to Tucson to play for Arizona for two seasons. In two seasons for Arizona, he caught 175 passes for 1,882 yards and 20 touchdowns, 13 of them in 2023.

Cowing’s reported top-30 visit might not count against the Cardinals’ limit of 30 prospects. Because he is from the metro area, if they do not provide transportation to the facility in Tempe, it doesn’t count against the 30-player limit.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Lions 2024 NFL Draft report: Jacob Cowing, Wide Receiver, Arizona

Cowing lacks size but he can fly and runs great routes

It is finally draft season for Lions fans.

Brad Holmes and his front office have proven they are very capable of putting together great draft classes. They have had major hits on every day of the draft, but especially on Day Two. This roster isn’t in desperate need of much because of his work, but they do have some positions that need to be addressed.

This offseason, they should be focusing on getting better play out of their defensive backs, adding depth on the defensive line, and building out the wide receiver room.

These scouting reports should introduce you to some of the names that Lions fans could hear during the three days of the NFL Draft.

9 takeaways from National team Senior Bowl practice day 3

Nine takeaways from Vikings Wire’s Tyler Forness on the National Team’s third and final practice at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl

Day three of the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl is here, signifying the final practice before the two teams face off on Saturday.

Senior Bowl week is one of the first premier stops on the road to the NFL draft, and this year’s version has not disappointed. We have seen everything from the usual suspects securing their spots in round one to the virtually unknown prospects becoming household names.

Tyler Forness, Managing Editor for Vikings Wire, has had his finger on the pulse in Mobile from the first snaps of practice. He gives us his nine takeaways from the National team’s final chance to compete before the game and what it could mean for the prospects as their pre-draft process begins.