49ers host NFL Draft top-30 visit with wide receiver who can provide threat they haven't had since 2019

The San Francisco 49ers have shown a lot of interest in a stacked wide receiver class in the 2024 NFL Draft and added a fourth wideout to their list of top-30 visits on Wednesday.

On the final day on which top-30 visits can be held, the Niners hosted Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing.

The 49ers' other previously reported wide receiver visits were USC's Brenden Rice, Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley and Javon Baker of UCF.

Rice would offer the 49ers a mix of size and route-running nuance they do not currently have on their receiver depth chart. Corley has drawn comparisons to Deebo Samuel while Baker has huge contested-catch upside.

Each of that trio brings something different, and that is also the case with Cowing, who would give the 49ers a big-time speed threat.

Cowing ran a 40-yard dash of 4.38 seconds and, while he is significantly undersized at a little over 5ft 8in and 168 pounds, that frame did not prevent the UTEP transfer from dominating at the Pac-12 level.

In two seasons with Arizona, Cowing racked up 1,882 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

Cowing also has some limited experience as a punt returner, but his primary appeal to the 49ers would be in giving them a speed option they have had not had since Marquise Goodwin left the team after the 2019 season.

San Francisco's Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs revealed a need to add something different to an extremely talented wide receiver corps, with the ability to defeat man coverage and make contested catches seemingly top of the 49ers' list of desired traits.

Cowing's speed would provide the 49ers with another potential avenue through which to punish teams that dare to play man as the Chiefs did consistently in the Super Bowl.

It appears almost certain the 49ers are going to take at least one wide receiver at some point in the draft. The only thing in question is the identify of the pass-catchers they take, but Cowing is clearly in the mix.