The San Francisco 49ers already made a splash by bringing in Mike Evans, but their receiver group still looks like it could use one more proven threat before training camp gets rolling.
Right now, Evans, Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk are projected to open as the top three at receiver, with rookie De'Zhaun Stribling trying to carve out snaps. That’s a decent base, but it also comes with some real uncertainty.
Pearsall hasn’t played more than 11 games in either of his seasons, and Kirk hasn’t appeared in more than 13 games over the last two years. Banking on both to stay on the field all year would be a gamble.
That’s where Stefon Diggs enters the picture.
Diggs recently made his case on his YouTube channel, and he didn’t exactly sound like a player content to blend in as a secondary option.
"My opinion, I can compete with anybody... You can't name a No. 2 better than me."
For a 49ers team that would still have Evans as its No. 1, that kind of confidence only adds to the appeal. Diggs wouldn’t need to be the centerpiece, but he’d give San Francisco another high-end target and a player who seems fully willing to embrace a WR2 role.
The fit is easy to see because Diggs still showed plenty last season with the New England Patriots, even after returning from a torn ACL. In 17 games, he caught 85 passes on 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. He was a key piece for Drake Maye and proved he can still produce week after week.
And the résumé goes well beyond one season. Over 161 career games, Diggs has piled up 942 receptions, 11,504 receiving yards and 74 receiving touchdowns. He’s done it in multiple places, and he’s shown he can line up in different spots and still make an impact.
The 49ers also know they’ll start the season without George Kittle, who is out with a torn Achilles. That makes the need for another reliable pass catcher even more obvious. Adding Diggs would give Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan another veteran weapon to work with while also taking some pressure off Stribling as he adjusts to the league.
In a division that includes the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, every upgrade matters. For San Francisco, bringing in Diggs before training camp would be the kind of move that strengthens the roster without asking for much imagination.
In Other News...
49ers Backfield Battle Behind McCaffrey Just Took A Troubling Turn
The 49ers used a third-round pick on rookie running back Kaelon Black in April, a move aimed at deepening the backfield behind Christian McCaffrey. On paper, it was the kind of insurance policy teams like to have in place, especially with McCaffrey carrying such a heavy load as the centerpiece of the offense.
But the addition also adds pressure to a room that already includes Jordan James, who did not record a carry in 2025. Both rookies arrived with strong college rsums, which gives San Francisco some comfort about the positions future, but it also leaves an unsettled pecking order behind McCaffrey and a lingering question about how the 49ers want to sort out the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Robert Saleh Just Sent 49ers Fans A Strong Alfred Collins Message
Robert Salehs latest comments offered a familiar kind of reassurance for 49ers fans: the coach who helped bring Alfred Collins to San Francisco still believes the defensive tackle has the tools to become a difference-maker. Saleh, now leading the Titans, was part of the staff that drafted Collins during his second stint as the 49ers defensive coordinator, and his confidence in Collins work ethic carries extra weight after a rookie year that never really got on track.
Collins had to deal with a rocky first season, including a training-camp absence tied to a contract standoff, but the expectation now is that hell be in camp from the start and get a cleaner runway. San Francisco also added Osa Odighizuwa this offseason, a move that should help the interior rotation and ease some of the burden on Collins as he tries to turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Gave This Undrafted Receiver A Real Shot To Make Noise
Wesley Grimes landed in Santa Clara as more than just another undrafted flyer, which is saying something for a 49ers receiver room that always seems to have a few names fighting for one last opening. The former NC State wideout signed a three-year deal that includes $200,000 fully guaranteed, a small but meaningful sign that San Francisco is willing to give him a real look instead of treating him like a camp body.
Grimes brings the kind of athletic profile that can turn a training-camp rep into a conversation: a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical leap. Just as important for a team built around timing, spacing and yards after the catch, his style lines up with what the 49ers want to do, which is why this is the sort of signing that can quietly become more interesting as summer unfolds. [Read more 🡒]