No Huddle: The 49ers’ Biggest Challengers In The NFC →
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports


For The Record - 49ers WR Jauan Jennings

Justin Wong
Apr 25, 2020 at 9:40 PM0


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
While NFL Draft pundits and fans alike can give instant reactions to their team's player selections, it's easy to forget that the true value of the picks cannot be fully assessed until after a couple of seasons. Some players become instant starters (Deebo Samuel) while others remain a work in progress (Solomon Thomas). Having said that, I want to pull out the receipts on what draft analysts were saying prior to the draft, along with their player comparisons. With the 2020 NFL Draft now in the books, let's review what various scouting outlets were saying about the 49ers' day three picks. The 49ers traded linebacker Eli Harold in 2018 to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick. Fast forward to now and with the 217th pick in the NFL Draft, the 49ers select Tennessee wide receiver, Jauan Jennings.


NFL Player Comparison: Jalen Hurd

Dane Brugler of The Athletic thinks sees Jennings as a 'unique playmaker' in his 2020 NFL Draft Guide:

With his impressive physical ingredients, Jennings was basically a post player for the Vols' offense (68.5% of his targets came over the middle of the field in 2019), but he is also a much better YAC player than expected (led the team with 17 offensive plays of 20-plus yards in 2019) due to his powerful strides and competitive nature. While he introduces subtle moves mid-route, he isn't a quick-twitch player in his patterns, limiting his upside as an outside or deep target. Overall, Jennings has only average top-end speed and will struggle to get on top of NFL-level cornerbacks, but his combination of size, physicality and finishing skills make him a unique playmaker, projecting as a "big" slot target.

NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein appreciates his 'savvy and toughness':

Big slot target with size, savvy and toughness, but lacking in functional speed and general quickness. Jennings can be clever in stemming and tilting coverage enough to open throwing windows, but getting away from press coverage is going to be difficult for him. What he can't do may keep him from being drafted, but competitiveness at the catch point, with the ball in his hands, and as a blocker should get him into camp and give him an outside shot as a big, possession slot.

ESPN Scout Inc.'s Draft profile of Jennings gave him a 34 grade:

He possesses excellent size but marginal speed (a red flag 40-yard dash of 4.72 at the combine). His unique trait is the ability to break tackles after the catch. He's a powerful runner with outstanding contact balance, and he has strong hands in traffic. His body control is very good, and he adjusts well to balls thrown outside his frame. Jennings grades out as a No. 4 WR in the NFL.

Anthony Treash and Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus thought the 49ers got great value with the selection of Jennings in their live analysis of the 2020 NFL Draft:

Kyle Shanahan is going to love Jauan Jennings in his offense. He was 70th on our big board and was a monster after the catch in college, breaking tackles at an incredible rate (30 broken on 59 catches) while posting the eighth-most yards after contact. That should translate to the NFL just fine. Jennings is far from a polished product, too.

With the 49ers' final draft selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, they certainly sent a message to the other 49ers wide receivers to step up their game. Consider that the 49ers had few draft picks this year and instead of addressing other positions like cornerback or safety, they double downed on another wide receiver prospect. The 49ers have an obvious type when it comes to receivers and their ability to create yards-after-the-catch; it's something Samuel and Sanders strived in last season and that continues to be a trait between Jennings and fellow rookie receiver, Brandon Aiyuk.

Jennings led all receiver prospects with 30 missed tackles; most of his catches were off slants as a big slot receiver. The more I looked into Jennings, the more I thought of last year's third-round pick, Jalen Hurd. Hurd not only played for the same college at Tennessee early in his career, he was also heavily featured as a slot receiver on slant routes. Perhaps the 49ers are trying to hedge themselves with the uncertain health status of Hurd? Nonetheless, I like the value with this selection--his draft stock fell mightily with a slow 4.72 40-yard dash time--and can appreciate the 49ers getting another possible red zone target in Jennings.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


0 Comments

  • No Comments

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



Jauan Jennings: 49ers offense is "shaking and baking"

By David Bonilla
Sep 26

Usually, the San Francisco 49ers defense gets all the notoriety. However, with the Niners scoring 30 points per game, the offense is showing that it can be just as formidable. Jauan Jennings has four receptions for 82 yards, which ranks fourth on the team behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Jennings' 20.5 yards per reception lead the 49ers, and his 5.0 yards after the catch rank second among the team's wide receivers (Samuel, 7.9). Jennings was recently asked to share how much fun the offense has been having this season while possibly stealing some of the spotlight from the team's tough defense. "Now we out here shaking and baking, man," Jennings said via NBC Sports Bay Area. "That's what we do. We get in the end zone. I feel like



Christian McCaffrey ties Jerry Rice for 49ers record

By David Bonilla
Sep 21

Christian McCaffrey is reaching all kinds of milestones this evening. The San Francisco 49ers running back reached 5,000 career rushing yards during the game against the New York Giants. He also surpassed Garrison Hearst for the most rushing yards through the first three games of a season in franchise history, doing so on a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. As if that wasn't enough, that touchdown by McCaffrey matched a franchise record. The running back has scored a touchdown in 12 consecutive games, including the playoffs. That ties Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who in 1987 had



QB Brock Purdy part of another historic record for the 49ers

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24

The San Francisco 49ers comfortably improved to 3-0 on the season with a 30-12 Thursday Night Football win over the New York Giants, dominating on the ground once again, while quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a season-high 310 yards in the victory. In the win, Purdy and the 49ers broke another unique record, becoming the first team in NFL history to both rush and pass for at least 140 yards in 8 consecutive regular season games, according to Opta Stats. The @49ers are the first team in NFL history to both rush and pass for at least 140 yards in



Two streaks come to an end for 49ers QB Brock Purdy

By David Bonilla
Sep 17

With two touchdown passes and the victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy became the first quarterback in NFL history to win each of his first six career regular-season starts and throw at least two touchdown passes in each start. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 95 or higher in each of his first six career regular-season starts. Both of those streaks came to an end for the 49ers quarterback. Purdy was not credited with a touchdown pass. He initially had one to Deebo Samuel, but it was later changed to a rushing touchdown by the wide receiver. Purdy finished the game with a passer rating of


Featured

More by Justin Wong

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone