49ers 2020 draft class: 5 rookies who’ll impress most in training camp
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Wide Receiver Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
Typically, head coach Kyle Shanahan has put a priority on speed for his wide receiver corps. This clearly wasn’t the case with San Francisco’s final selection in the NFL Draft, Jauan Jennings, who ran a sluggish 4.72 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Jennings has never boasted speed as a part of his game. Instead, he’s known for breaking tackles — 30 times on his 59 receptions last year for the Volunteers.
That alone is one reason to watch him perform in training camp, even though the tackles will be limited in practice.
But it paints a picture of why the 49ers targeted Jennings. Considering his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame and all those broken tackles, it’s a fair assessment to assume Jennings will be one of the more physical wideouts on the Niners roster this offseason. Previous to the 2019 selection of wide receiver Deebo Samuel, Shanahan had often targeted more “finesse” receivers.
Samuel and now Jennings appear to be changing that makeup.
And it’ll be fun to watch Jennings use that physicality to his advantage.