The University of Mississippi Athletics
NFL DRAFT: Jordan Watkins Selected by San Francisco 49ers in Fourth Round of 2025 NFL Draft
4/26/2025 | Football
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Ole Miss football senior wide receiver Jordan Watkins was selected with the final pick of the fourth round, going 138th overall to the San Francisco 49ers to become the first Rebel off the board on Day Three of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Watkins is the first Rebel receiver ever taken by San Francisco, the first player taken by the 49ers overall since defensive tackle D.J. Jones in 2017 (sixth round, pick 198) and the highest taken by them since Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis in 2007 (first round, pick 11).
Watkins is the sixth Rebel selected so far in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying the all-time Ole Miss record within the seven-round era of the Draft (since 1994), and tied with 2019 and 2022 for the second-most in the modern era of the NFL since the AFL-NFL merger in 1967.
Watkins came to Ole Miss in 2022 by way of Louisville, and after three seasons with the Rebels he finished as one of the best all-time receivers to wear the Red and Blue. Watkins hauled in 142 passes for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is one of 11 Rebels to ever break 2,000 career receiving yards, and he finished top-10 in the school record books in 100-yard receiving games (6), ninth in receiving yards (2,096) and tied for ninth in receptions (142).
In 2024 alone Watkins nabbed a team-leading nine touchdown receptions – the most since A.J. Brown's record 11 in 2017 – alongside 906 yards on 49 catches. But Watkins had no bigger day as Rebel than his historic dismantling of the Arkansas secondary last fall in which he broke Ole Miss single-game records in receiving yards (254) and receiving touchdowns (5) on eight total catches. Watkins' performance stands as one of two in SEC history with 250 yards and five touchdowns receiving alongside Alabama Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, while Watkins also helped Ole Miss break or tie single-game team records in passing yards (562) and passing TD (7).
Gallery: (4-25-2025) NFL DRAFT: Jordan Watkins
Watkins is the first Rebel receiver ever taken by San Francisco, the first player taken by the 49ers overall since defensive tackle D.J. Jones in 2017 (sixth round, pick 198) and the highest taken by them since Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis in 2007 (first round, pick 11).
Watkins is the sixth Rebel selected so far in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying the all-time Ole Miss record within the seven-round era of the Draft (since 1994), and tied with 2019 and 2022 for the second-most in the modern era of the NFL since the AFL-NFL merger in 1967.
Watkins came to Ole Miss in 2022 by way of Louisville, and after three seasons with the Rebels he finished as one of the best all-time receivers to wear the Red and Blue. Watkins hauled in 142 passes for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is one of 11 Rebels to ever break 2,000 career receiving yards, and he finished top-10 in the school record books in 100-yard receiving games (6), ninth in receiving yards (2,096) and tied for ninth in receptions (142).
In 2024 alone Watkins nabbed a team-leading nine touchdown receptions – the most since A.J. Brown's record 11 in 2017 – alongside 906 yards on 49 catches. But Watkins had no bigger day as Rebel than his historic dismantling of the Arkansas secondary last fall in which he broke Ole Miss single-game records in receiving yards (254) and receiving touchdowns (5) on eight total catches. Watkins' performance stands as one of two in SEC history with 250 yards and five touchdowns receiving alongside Alabama Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, while Watkins also helped Ole Miss break or tie single-game team records in passing yards (562) and passing TD (7).
Players Mentioned
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