Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

3 49ers Most Impacted by the Christian Kirk Signing

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 7:30 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers have continued their solid free agency plan by adding Christian Kirk into the mix at wide receiver. The team had a need at wide receiver, but it still impacts some names already on the roster. Who is on alert after this signing?

Demarcus Robinson

This may be the player impacted the least of the top three, but it still changes his role. Robinson does not play the slot, so he was always likely to be a backup to both Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall on the outside while the team added a slot.

Still, when you look at the wide receiver room, there is a chance that his role will be relegated. Jordan Watkins is younger and brings potential that may have him active on gamedays. Christian Kirk can start in the slot, but can also be a depth piece on the outside.

If Jacob Cowing is the return man, the role for Robinson may not be needed on game days. He may become a healthy scratch until Pearsall or Evans gets banged up.

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Jordan Watkins

The 49ers could not have handed Watkins the starting slot job after the little that he showed in his rookie season. However, Kirk hurts any chance that he has at getting on the field to start the year. If they drafted another rookie to compete with Watkins, he had a chance in the competition, but now he is destined to be the backup slot.

It may help Watkins to know that Kirk does have an extensive injury history. Still, Watkins has just as good a chance as being the healthy inactive each week as Robinson does, if not more.

First round prospects

The 49ers have been linked to a first-round wide receiver for a while now. Jordan Tyson, Denzel Boston, and KC Concepcion could all be in this range. While there is still a chance, because Evans and Kirk are much older receivers, the odds of them taking one of those top receivers in round one have just gotten much smaller.

Neither Robinson nor Watkins is going to get cut, so they have five wideouts with a legitimate chance of making the roster already. They would like to continue to get young at the position, but that may end up being a day two or later pick as they look to fill other needs in the first couple of rounds.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: