Jordan Watkins’ Spectacular Preseason Touchdown Catch Goes Viral: Highlights, Stats & What It Means for the Buccaneers

Jordan Watkins is rapidly becoming one of the breakout talking points of the San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 preseason. The fifth-round rookie wide receiver has stacked eye-catching plays and steady improvement throughout training camp, prompting quarterback Brock Purdy to praise the newcomer for doing a “great job” and flashing “huge upside.” Early-camp chemistry with Purdy Watkins’ strong route timing with Purdy has been on display during red-zone drills, where the 6-foot, 190-pound pass catcher has routinely found soft spots between linebackers and safeties. Coaches have highlighted his quick acclimation to Kyle Shanahan’s option-heavy playbook, noting that Watkins rarely repeats mistakes in back-to-back sessions. Return after brief absence The rookie briefly missed Friday’s practice for undisclosed reasons, but was back in full pads on Saturday and immediately resumed first-team reps, allaying fears of any lingering issue. Team sources said the absence was precautionary, and Watkins later confirmed he “felt 100 percent” and “didn’t want to miss a rep.” What makes Watkins different • Sudden release: Scouts called him one of the quickest separators in the 2025 draft class. • Track-speed acceleration: A verified 4.38-second forty allows him to stress defenses vertically. • Positional versatility: Watkins lined up at X, Z and slot at Ole Miss and is already rotating across all three spots for San Francisco. • Special-teams value: He is the early favorite to open the year as the 49ers’ primary kick returner, boosting his chance to be active on game days. Inside the preseason opener vs. Broncos Saturday’s preseason matchup with Denver is expected to showcase Watkins in at least two offensive series. Shanahan hinted that the staff will script a deep shot for No. 17 to test his game-speed chemistry with Purdy. With Deebo Samuel sitting out for maintenance and Brandon Aiyuk playing limited snaps, Watkins could see a spike in target share that mirrors his camp workload. Fantasy football watch Managers hunting late-round upside should put a star next to Watkins. If he cements the WR3 role behind Samuel and Aiyuk, historical usage under Shanahan suggests an average of 55–60 targets is within reach—a range that turned Jauan Jennings into a viable bye-week fill-in in 2023. Path from Ole Miss to Santa Clara Watkins arrived via pick 157 after leading the Rebels in receptions last fall. Scouts knocked him for size and contested-catch win rate, but the 49ers prioritized his explosive metric profile—top-10 in the draft class in yards after catch per reception—and mental processing that fits Shanahan’s option routes. Locker-room buzz Veteran corner Charvarius Ward called Watkins “twitchy” and said the rookie “forces you to stay honest on every snap.” His standout play against Pro-Bowl corner Patrick Surtain II during joint practices—creating two steps of separation on a double-move touchdown—sent camp spectators into a frenzy and fueled social-media highlight loops. What’s next If Watkins continues to stack productive practices and delivers a clean preseason showing—no drops, no muffed returns—he is expected to leapfrog veterans Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell on the depth chart and carve out an immediate role when the 49ers open the regular season against the Rams on September 7. Bottom line Jordan Watkins is no longer a deep-roster afterthought; he is surging toward a meaningful role in one of the NFL’s most creative offenses. With blazing speed, multi-spot versatility, and early trust from Brock Purdy, the rookie wide receiver is positioning himself as a potential 2025 season-long difference-maker in both real football and fantasy lineups.