49ers roster: 4 best things that surprised us most in 2021

The 49ers’ 2021 season didn’t go perfectly, but there were some nice little hidden-gem surprises that took all of us off guard over the course of the year.

With the 2021 calendar year in the rearview mirror, and the San Francisco 49ers winding down their season campaign with the hopes of being a playoff team, it’s always worth looking back at all the things that could have gone better.

And those things that went well.

Understandably, the centerpiece storyline for the season was the quarterback controversy between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, the end results of which have yet to play out. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel and EDGE Nick Bosa‘s respective dominance were storylines, too, making any of the negatives experienced over 2021 a lot more bearable.

None of those things truly surprised us, though. Samuel and Bosa are good players, and everyone knew the talk of the team would center on Garoppolo and Lance regardless of how things panned out.

These four roster developments, however, did catch a lot of us off guard, though.

No. 4: Jauan Jennings being 49ers’ third-best wide receiver

After failing to impress enough during his rookie 2020 training camp, subsequently landing on the practice squad and then dealing with injuries there, wide receiver Jauan Jennings had some modestly impressive outings in 2021’s camp, suggesting he was a safe bet to make the 53-man roster.

At the time, though, the focal point for San Francisco’s No. 3 wide receiver was solely on Trent Sherfield, who was tearing things up in training camp and into the preseason. Further attention was given to the veteran, Mohamed Sanu, pushing Jennings back to the periphery.

Over 17 weeks, though, it’s been Jennings who has emerged as the No. 3 option behind Samuel and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk. And while few would jump up and down about Jennings’ 18 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns, those numbers actually rank him third at the position this deep in the season.

That should put Jennings into a solid position to make an even bigger dent on the roster in 2022, provided he continues to showcase his physical abilities as a tertiary threat.

No. 2: Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s maturation has boosted 49ers defense

In 2019, then-undrafted free-agent rookie linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was viewed as nothing more than an emergency starter and someone who could fill in on special teams. Considering the 49ers already had a trio of starting-caliber linebackers — Fred Warner, Kwon Alexander and Dre Greenlaw — not much needed to be expected out of Al-Shaair.

But Alexander was jettisoned in 2020, leaving only Warner and Greenlaw to shoulder the load, forcing Al-Shaair into just five starts that season where he recorded 35 tackles, a forced fumble and two passes broken up.

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In the wake of Greenlaw suffering what’s turning into a season-ending groin injury way back in Week 1, though, Al-Shaair has blossomed.

To date, he ranks second only behind Warner with 102 tackles, also adding an impressive two sacks, nine tackles for a loss and five passes broken up.

This has prompted a safe argument: Al-Shaair should remain in a starter’s role once Greenlaw returns, either this season or next, provided the Niners entertain picking up Al-Shaair’s restricted free-agent tender in 2022.

Based on his play and how he seemingly came out of nowhere, they should.

No. 2: Arden Key has turned into a quality pass-rusher

Understandably, Nick Bosa has been the focal point of San Francisco’s pass rush with 15 sacks entering Week 18. And while the 49ers were hoping to get something, anything out of fellow EDGE Dee Ford, Ford’s own back issues prevented him from appearing in more than just six games this season.

The Niners needed to get a complementary pass rush and were struggling to do so for much of the year.

One of those low-profile offseason free-agent pickups, grabbing former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Arden Key, has proven to be a massive boost. Key, who flamed out with the Raiders after notching just three sacks over his first three years as a pro, has turned into a quality San Francisco pass-rusher, made even more apparent by his move to the inside of the defensive line.

With six sacks (officially) on the season, Key has set a new career-best mark in that department, further justifying how D-line coach Kris Kocurek can get the most out of in-the-trench players.

Key is also a free agent this offseason and might be in line to cash in on his recent success.

From the 49ers’ perspective, they’ll likely hope he sees what he has with his new squad and is willing to re-sign on a team-friendly deal.

No. 1: Elijah Mitchell has turned into a 49ers stud

Not much is usually expected out of sixth-round NFL Draft picks, certainly not during their rookie seasons.

And that was certainly the case for running back Elijah Mitchell, taken in Round 6 and someone who found himself buried deep on a training camp depth chart for the Niners that included Raheem Mostert, Trey Sermon, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty and Wayne Gallman.

But Gallman didn’t make the 53-man cut, Mostert suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1, and Sermon has been relegated to the ranks of the “let’s hope he pans out in 2022” crowd.

Instead, it’s been the Mitchell show on the ground for almost all of 2021.

Despite missing six games with various injuries, Mitchell nevertheless set two new franchise records for rookies:

• Five 100-yard rushing games in a rookie season
• Most rushing yards (878) for a Niners running back in a rookie season

Mitchell’s strength and speed have made him an offensive X-factor, averaging an impressive 4.7 yards per attempt and even doubling as a receiving threat, too, with 137 yards through the air.

As long as he stays healthy, Mitchell could remain that key X-factor for San Francisco for a long, long time.