With the 2025 NFL season just around the corner, Kyle Juszczyk and Christian McCaffrey have made it a point to mentor the 49ers’ rookie class as much as they can.
When asked about San Francisco’s first-year players, the 13-year NFL fullback liked what he saw during offseason practices.
“I’ve seen a lot of good things,” Juszczyk told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco Thursday at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe. “In OTAs, I loved what Jordan Watkins was doing. I’m really excited about what he can do for the offense. That’s a position where I think we’re going to need some help early on with Brandon [Aiyuk] being injured. I think he’s one of the guys that can step in and make an impact.”
The 49ers loaded up on players in the 2025 NFL Draft with the hope that many of them could be immediate difference-makers for a franchise that parted ways with numerous veterans during the offseason.
Juszczyk explained that both he and McCaffrey have been working hard to integrate San Francisco’s rookie class and prepare them for the rigors of professional football.
“Christian and I were texting back in February and March [talking about] taking this to another level and bringing these guys along because we’re going to need them,” Juszczyk told Maiocco. “I think we’ve got some of the right guys for the job.”
After a lackluster 6-11 campaign last year, the 49ers are looking to flip the script and return to the playoffs this season. In the modern NFL, the key to success is a combination of cheap, young talent on rookie contracts mixed in with a steady veteran presence.
San Francisco let go of many core veterans to create enough cap space for quarterback Brock Purdy’s contract extension, leaving this rookie class to fill in the gaps.
With training camp and the official start of the NFL season just around the corner, Juszczyk, McCaffrey and the San Francisco rookie class will look to right the ship and get the franchise back on top in the hyper-competitive NFC West.
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