In the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Jacob Cowing from the University of Arizona with the 135th-overall pick.
"I'm ready to go. I'm a 49er, so I'm pumped up," Cowing said after being drafted.
Keep reading to learn more about San Francisco's newest wide receiver.
Before being drafted to San Francisco, Cowing has always had his eye on the Niners.
"Growing up always playing football, the 49ers were always one of my dream teams when watching the NFL," Cowing said. "This is kind of just a full circle moment. Fulfilling my dreams, being picked up by one of my dream teams, now at this point I'm just ready to go work."
As a kid, the wide receiver looked up to Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, and over the past few years has modeled his game after wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Brandon Aiyuk.
Cowing began his collegiate football career at the University of Texas at El Paso. From 2019-21, Cowing played in 33 games, recorded 141 receptions for 2,595 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the Miners in receiving yards all three seasons. He also made four rushing attempts for 75 yards and one touchdown. During the 2021 season, Cowing started in all 13 games, ranked ninth in the FBS with 1,354 receiving yards and received First-team All-Conference USA honors.
The wide receiver later transferred to the University of Arizona for his final two seasons of college football (2022-23). At Arizona, Cowing played in 25 games, recorded 175 receptions for 1,882 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also made eight rushing attempts for 27 yards. He finished his college career with an All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention.
Following the 2022 season, Pro Football Focus named Cowing "one of the most underrated players in the country."
Cowing was one of only two receivers in the nation who finished with a top-six PFF receiving grade after playing more than 70% of their snaps in the slot. He finished his first season at Arizona with a 80.0 receiving grade and his final year in college football with a 75.2 total offensive grade.
"I made it a priority to learn play recognition," Cowing said. "I've spent countless hours watching film with coaches, quarterbacks, receivers, anyone who will watch film with me."
At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Cowing ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, along with a 36-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 9 feet, 11 inches.
Cowing's draft story highlighted the fact that small gestures go a long way.
Following his pre-draft meeting with the 49ers, the wide receiver penned a heartfelt thank-you letter to the coaching staff. His thoughtful gesture didn't go unnoticed – head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned the letter in his draft call to Cowing.
"It was your thank you letter that put you over the top," Shanahan said. "You were raised right, that was awesome."
Check out the moment in the video below:
