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Breaking down the 90 players on the 49ers offseason roster in 90 posts (over 90 or so days). Today is wide receiver Jauan Jennings
When the rest of the league zigs, Kyle Shanahan zags. The NFL has trended toward spreading you out and getting more playmakers on the field, while Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers want to stay in base personnel and include fullbacks and tight ends to control what the defense can do. This year, I can see the 49ers using more “big-bodied” receivers as opposed to the smaller, speedier wideouts. The third-round pick from the 2019 draft Jalen Hurd figures to have a serious role for San Francisco’s offense. Will seventh-round pick a Jauan Jennings benefit from this move?
If you watched Jennings highlights or plays while he was at Tennessee, he probably broke a tackle when he touched the ball. Jennings senior year was littered with plays of him running through, over, around—you name it—defenders. Is he going to blow you away with speed? Nope. That’s not who Jennings is. That doesn’t mean he can’t be effective, though. What Jennings showed he understands how to use his body to get open.
Most importantly, he can catch the ball. Drops plagued the 49ers last year at critical times. Jennings consistently caught the ball when defenders were draped all over him. Can he get away without separating at the NFL level? That’s what we’ll find out.
Basic Info
Age: 22
About the Author: Insidethe49
