Why Jacob Cowing was a Disappointment in 49ers OTAs and Minicamp

Of all the 49ers rookies, Cowing was the biggest disappointment this offseason. Not because he practiced poorly. He simply didn't practice much. He was injured most of the time, which isn't a great sign for a small player who relies on speed.
May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing (83) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing (83) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports
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Of all the 49ers rookies, Jacob Cowing was supposed to be the most impressive one in practices this offseason.

Cowing is small -- 5'8", 168 pounds. It's unclear if his body will hold up in the NFL as he takes hits from much larger players. But in practice where tackling is not allowed and contact is minimal, he should shine because he's so quick and fast. But he didn't.

Of all the 49ers rookies, Cowing was the biggest disappointment this offseason. Not because he practiced poorly. He simply didn't practice much. He was injured most of the time, which isn't a great sign for a small player who relies on speed.

The other 49ers rookies all were healthy and on the field this offseason, so they all improved. Running back Isaac Guerendo struggled to find daylight as a rusher during practice, but at least he was on the field so he could learn the system. He's a project who's improving.

Cowing didn't get an opportunity to improve, which means he's behind the other rookies on the team. Cowing showed nothing this offseason. Now he needs to practice well in training camp, or else he could be a healthy scratch all season.

A big part of being a professional football player is knowing how to take care of your body. Teams always say the best ability is availability, and Cowing wasn't available for most of OTAs and training camp. If he keeps pulling or straining muscles when he runs, his speed won't help the team.

Let's see if Cowing can bounce back.


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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.