Meet a 49ers rookie: What are Jauan Jennings’ chances at making the roster?
In a new series, we’re going to put each of the five players from the 49ers 2020 draft class in a rookie spotlight by examining what they bring to the table and the battles they’ll face in their first seasons for playing time. Here, we’ll start with seventh-round pick Jauan Jennings, the wide receiver from Tennessee.
Watch Jauan Jennings play and his style is pretty clear. He’s a mean, physical receiver who made a name for himself by being tough to bring down.
“He’d play safety if he didn’t play receiver,” general manager John Lynch said. “I love his attitude. I love his style. I think he’s going to help us a lot.”
Added Kyle Shanahan: “He’s willing to fight everybody out there. He fights for yards. He makes plays and there’s a mindset to that guy that you don’t have to talk to him to hear about. You can watch it on the silent tape and you know what type of football player he is.”
Jennings forced 30 missed tackles last season, which was best among college receivers, according to Pro Football Focus. He averaged eight yards after the catch, fitting Shanahan’s ethos perfectly. Like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, Jennings is excellent after the catch.
“Definitely going to bring that physicality to every game. That’s always been a part of me,” Jennings said after being drafted. “That’s not just in the blocking game, because I do love to block, but it’s also when it comes to me catching the ball. I’m a great receiver after the catch and I take pride in that. I believe in myself to be able to do that at a high level.”
Jennings has a chance to be a steal of a seventh-round pick. Some observers expected him to go as high as Round 5, but a slow 40-yard dash time (4.72 seconds) and vertical jump (29 inches) at the combine may have scared some teams off. There were also questions about his maturity following a suspension for the first half of the recent Gator Bowl and a team-issued suspension for a tirade over the Tennessee coaching staff he put on social media.
But Jennings’ production speaks for itself. He started 31 games over five seasons (he received a medical redshirt in 2017 for a wrist injury) and recorded 146 catches for 2,153 yards (14.7 average) and 18 touchdowns. He was PFF’s 70th-ranked player in the entire class and the 49ers picked him at No. 217 overall.
He’ll have to play well to make the final roster because the 49ers have a deep group of receivers featuring players looking to distinguish themselves. Aiyuk, Samuel and Kendrick Bourne are locks to make the team, leaving Richie James Jr., Travis Benjamin, Dante Pettis, Trent Taylor, Jalen Hurd, Chris Finke and Jennings likely competing for the final three spots.
Shanahan believes Jenninngs’ rough-and-tumble skill set will be a welcomed addition to a receiving corps that’s more known for speed and elusiveness than brute force.
“When you have guys like that, they usually end up being pretty special,” Shanahan said of Jennings. “Now, he has some reasons why we got him here and where we did (in Round 7). That’s why he’s going to have to come in and prove himself to make this team because we’ve got a good group of receivers. With the way he plays, the attitude he plays with out there with, the physicality, he’s going to get himself a chance to make this team. I know he’s going to push these other guys pretty hard.”
