49ers biggest winners, losers from first week of 2021 OTAs

Winner: 49ers WR Jauan Jennings

The Niners have a wide-open competition for their third wide receiver spot behind Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.

And so far, it’s looking as if second-year pro Jauan Jennings is in the early lead.

A year ago, it was evident Jennings struggled as a first-year player from not having the benefit of practicing in rookie minicamp or OTAs, as his training camp workouts were sluggish and lacked the precision route-running skills necessary to thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Subsequently, Jennings ended up on the practice squad and didn’t see action in 2020.

This year, however, Jennings is looking far more impressive. According to multiple reports, he beat nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams for a long catch in 7-on-7 drills and caught the pass with ease without having to break his stride. The thinking, too, is Jennings looks a good deal stronger and faster, which bodes well for him ascending the depth chart.

Jennings is far from being named a lock to make the 53-man roster. But standing out early in these kinds of situations is a great way for him to impress and earn even more reps once training camp rolls around.