Jauan A Hands?

Ok. Corny title, we know. We're excited about this guy though! The San Francisco 49ers selected Jauan Jennings in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He's a 6'3" 215 pound day two talent at WR, that fell to the last round of the draft due to character concerns. Yes, a big collective sigh from 49ers fans around the world. However, we believe that the character concerns are overblown. In response to these character questions, his coaches have consistently spoken up on his behalf, and his teammates love him. At the very least, he can contribute on special teams early, as a gunner. Jennings was a standout special teams player in college, and he will also be one in the NFL. He's a high effort player, and we like him a lot. We also like that John and Kyle have shown so much growth. They've obviously learned from their mistakes in past drafts, and understand the late rounds is where you take these kinds of gambles. This move adds much needed depth to a wide receiver room that is hurting. Literally, because of the concerns over Jalen Hurd and Trent Taylor's backs, and also figuratively, due to Emmanuel Sanders leaving in free agency to the Saints. It's the type of low-risk, high-reward move that could pay off big time if Kyle Shanahan is able to get the best out of Jennings.

After being drafted, he was asked by reporters how he would fit in with his new team. He replied "It's just gonna be hard to stop us..." We believe this to be true, because, he's tough to stop all by himself:

He's a certified YAC machine. This part of his game translates well to the pros:

Jennings has good hands, and he's a "hands catcher" who can pluck it out of the air:

A chain mover, who gets upfield quickly after the catch:

Jauan has exceptional contact balance, and DB's have to make a business decision in the open field:

He knows how to attack weak spots in zone, and he played against marquee competition in the SEC:

If it sounds too good to be true... listen, he's a great prospect, but he's not a finsihed product:

Another look. He leaves his feet unnecessarily here, and it results in the drop and the INT. We like that he looks to use his body to his advantage here in the redzone. He's very good at that:

He's a big target over the middle that uses his body to shield the ball from defenders;

Jennings has really good ball tracking skills, especially on over the shoulder grabs:

A bobble is always scary, but tracks it and brings it in with two feet down:

Not only can he track it, but Jennings shows he can hang on through a big hit. Toughness:

Now, he can block, but he doesn't give 100% effort and use great technique all the time:

The good news is he has the frame for it, he can do it, and our culture will rub off on him really quickly. If he sticks on the roster, he will likely become a consistent elite blocker:

Another thing we love to see is when a play is breaking down, the guy is still working. Looking at his QB, fighting to get open until the end, making himself available for his QB:

Again, against the best of the best, he was never scared. Between two Georgia defenders, Touchdown:

Does this play design look familiar? The 49ers love to run quick screens with blockers out in front. This being a strength of his, we can see Jauan eating on plays like this with Kittle, or Deebo, or Juice, or Aiyuk, or Hurd, or whoever. Like Jennings said, "it's gonna be hard to stop us":

So we liked this pick a lot here at the Lab. Jauan Jennings is a hard worker, and he has traits that you can't teach. His 40 time at the combine was bad. However, he's not a player who needs blazing speed to win. He uses his body well to create separation, which is what you want to see from a big bodied guy like him. We think he has a good chance to make the roster. He will likely start off primarily on special teams, and have a chance to work his way onto the field. He's got a great coach in Wes Welker to help him mature as a route runner, and a great team culture to help him continue to mature off the field as well. The arrow is pointing up for Jauan Jennings. He couldn't have landed in a better spot.