49ers UDFA Receiver Turning Into Best Kept Secret at Training Camp After Highlight-Reel Catch

You can raise a good argument that this 50-yard bomb into a crowded area wasn't a great decision by Jones, but Neyor knew what he had to do to make his QB look good.

“My mentality going into a pass like that is, ‘It’s either my ball or it’s nobody’s,’ ” Neyor told NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s a pass I’ve seen numerous times throughout my career. My mentality is just to come down with it. Mac gave me an opportunity, and I went and made the play.”

This catch got everybody's attention ... and after that, it's hard to take your eyes off of Neyor when you notice his freak athleticism.

“It was awesome, making that play and having the crowd get loud,” Neyor said. “It was a pretty cool moment. But my goal is to do something like that every day."

He has plenty of physical tools to make that happen. Neyor is 6-4 and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash. That's video game stuff.

His athleticism score of 92 at the NFL Scouting Combine this spring ranked second among all receivers in the class. How he still went undrafted is beyond me, but the 49ers' scouting team was smart to get him locked into a free agent contract quickly.

“I play hard,” Neyor said. “I love contested catches. I love going up and getting the ball. I think I have underrated speed. A lot of people didn’t think I had the speed. I proved (I did) during the combine.”

With the receiver room in an odd spot at this stage of camp, Neyor can solidify his case to make the 53-man roster if he keeps this up. He'll likely be battling with the two rookie wideouts Jordan Watkins (fourth round) and Junior Bergen (seventh round) for one of the last spots on the team, but so far the UDFA may have the upper hand.

Even before this highlight catch, Neyor's athleticism was noticed by star tight end George Kittle, who shouted him out on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast.

“I watched him [at rookie minicamp], he was running a route and he got like 9 1/2 yards in two strides,” Kittle said. “I was like, ‘Holy s--t.’ It was insane. We watched it like 10 times in the tight end room. We were like ‘How is he doing this?’"

We bet Kittle had a similar reaction to Neyor's catch this week, too.

“He’s a good kid,” Kittle added, “I like him. He’s a freak."

Neyor began his college career with three seasons at Wyoming before transferring to Texas in 2022. After tearing his ACL and missing practically two full seasons, he played last year at Nebraska and led the team with five receiving touchdowns.

Now with the 49ers, Neyor could turn into Kyle Shanahan's best kept secret out of training camp with his unique athleticism.

"Every opportunity I get, make the most of it and try to find a way to stand out," Neyor said. "I feel like I did just that today. So I have to go back and keep improving, keep getting better.”