San Francisco 49ers: Rookie WR Jauan Jennings has immediate upside

Do not sleep on Jauan Jennings, an exciting seventh-round rookie receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.

We all loved the San Francisco 49ers trading up and snagging Brandon Aiyuk in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Aiyuk is a bit of a project player, but he is a smooth and explosive receiver who particularly shines in run-after-catch situations. Head coach Kyle Shanahan does a fantastic job of creating space for his receivers and setting up situations for them to succeed after the catch. Aiyuk will undoubtedly shine in this offensive attack.

However, he is not the only rookie receiver who seems to fit this offense perfectly. In the seventh round, the 49ers added former Tennessee wide receiver Jauan Jennings to the mix. Johnson is not the most complete receiver, but he is an extremely talented guy who probably should have been taken earlier. This guy could quickly prove to be a massive steal for San Fran.

Jennings had an up-and-down college career at Tennessee but finished it off with a nice season in 2019. In his final collegiate season, Jennings piled up 59 receptions for 969 yards and eight touchdowns.

Big and physical target who shines with the ball in his hands

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Jennings has great size and he knows how to use it in the middle of the field. Jennings is an extremely physical receiver who shows impressive ball skills and wins with power at the catch point. He is not the most natural route runner, but Jennings does a great job of fighting for the ball and works extremely well in traffic.

Similarly to Aiyuk, Jennings really shines after the catch. However, he does not win with speed and explosiveness. Jennings is more of a smooth and natural ball carrier who sees the field well and wins with power. He is difficult to bring down in the open field, consistently finishing with power and keeping his feet moving. The seventh-round rookie also shows tremendous natural contact balance for a wide receiver.

Jennings is never going to impress you with his speed and quickness. He is extremely limited in this department and that likely limits his overall upside. However, Jennings knows what he does best and uses his strengths to his advantage as an offensive playmaker.

Kyle Shanahan is an extremely smart offensive playmaker who does a fantastic job of putting his players in a position to succeed. If Jennings can prove that he is worthy of some playing time, Shanahan will likely be able to put Jennings in situations to succeed.

Jennings’ lack of speed probably limits him to a big slot role at the next level. That being said, he has obvious strengths that could allow him to shine for the San Francisco 49ers if given the opportunity.