Pro Football Focus contributor Thomas Valentine recently released a list of each NFL team's most improved player for 2024. The choice for the San Francisco 49ers is unsurprising to The Faithful: wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
Jennings is coming off the best season of his career. Had he not been ejected from the Week 18 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals for unsportsmanlike conduct on back-to-back plays, he likely would have surpassed 1,000 receiving yards—a milestone he was on the verge of achieving for the first time.
"The former seventh-round pick had a career year in the wake of injuries to Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey, catching 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns, setting career highs across the board," Valentine wrote.
To put that into perspective, Jennings' 975 receiving yards this season were 12 more than his total from his previous three seasons combined.
Unfortunately, the 49ers' 2024 campaign fell well short of expectations. Despite entering the season with Super Bowl aspirations, the team managed just six wins and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Amid the team's struggles, Jennings emerged as a bright spot and will hopefully play a significant role next season.
"Jennings was known more for his blocking abilities up until this season, but he was Brock Purdy's most favorable target, earning 113 targets in 15 games, while his 83.1 grade was 13th among all receivers in the NFL," Valentine noted.
"He also became one of the best receivers at winning contested catches, as only Terry McLaurin and Drake London had more contested catches than Jennings 20 in the regular season."
Pro Football Focus contributor Bradley Locker also recognized Jauan Jennings' impact, naming him the 49ers' "secret superstar" of the 2024 season.
"As the 49ers endured another injury-ravaged season, Jennings was a consistently good force at wide receiver," Locker wrote. "His 83.7 PFF receiving grade ranked 17th among receivers with 50 or more targets, while he was also 14th in yards per route run (2.26). Jennings proved his mettle as a blocker, too, with his 74.8 PFF pass-blocking grade the eighth-best mark among receivers. Given that San Francisco may shuffle the deck by trading a player like Deebo Samuel, Jennings will continue to be a focal point in 2025."
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