The 49ers’ new emphasis on special teams was on display late in the 2025 NFL Draft.
San Francisco selected Montana wide receiver Junior Bergen with the No. 252 overall pick.
“We brought him here to be a returner and try to make the team that way,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Jacob Cowing handled punt returns for the 49ers as a rookie last season and posted a respectable 8.8-yard average on 28 returns. He had 11 fair catches and muffed two punts.
New special teams coordinator Brant Boyer and assistant special teams coach Colt Anderson kept talking about Bergen, 49ers general manager John Lynch said.
The 49ers hired Boyer to replace Brian Schneider after the team experienced an abundance of costly special-teams breakdowns last season.
Bergen (5-foot-9 1/2, 184 pounds) was an All-Big Sky selection at kick returner, punt returner and wide receiver. He is tied for the NCAA FCS record with eight career punt-return touchdowns. He posted a career average of 16.7 yards per punt return.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
And with the new NFL kickoff rules, Bergen could have more of a chance to make an impact with the 49ers this season. This year, the offense will start at the 35-yard line after touchbacks on kickoffs.
The NFL estimates that 60 to 70 percent of kickoffs this season will be returned.
“To have a dynamic returner is probably a good thing,” Lynch said. “And he'll go in there and compete, and he's done it really well at the smaller college level. And now he's going to get an opportunity to do it with us.”