Jauan Jennings broke out in 2024, and Pro Football Focus took notice. But the receiver's efforts are nothing new to 49ers fans.
While the San Francisco 49ers' 2024 campaign ultimately fell way short of expectations, there were nevertheless some positive developments that'll make the season memorable.
Perhaps the biggest one was the rise of wide receiver Jauan Jennings, a player who, at least previously, was known for his exceptional blocking prowess and an uncanny ability to come up big on third downs.
Yet "Third and Jauan" hadn't exactly caught on in the national spotlight, largely due to the fact he played third fiddle behind the Niners' other top two wideouts, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Sure, San Francisco fans were privy to Jennings' abilities on the field. But, for the box-score fans, the seventh-round NFL Draft pick from 2020 hadn't exactly put up eyebrow-raising numbers.
Until 2024.
Aiyuk's season-ending ACL and MCL tears, combined with Samuel's regression, opened the door for Jennings to not only have a career-best campaign, but they also gave the tertiary receiver opportunities for breakout performances, including a three-touchdown game in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Too bad the 49ers lost nearly all the games in which Jennings came up huge.
Nevertheless, Jennings made the national spotlight, and it's pretty clear the rest of the NFL world is catching on.
Including the folks over at Pro Football Focus.
PFF tabs Jauan Jennings as 49ers' best secret weapon
In a list of all 32 teams' "secret superstars," Jennings earned the nod for the Niners.
It's not hard to understand why, especially when one looks at it from an outsider's perspective.
Jennings' career-best 975 receiving yards ranked second on San Francisco's offense behind only tight end George Kittle, and had it not been for a questionable ejection in the Week 18 finale against the Arizona Cardinals, the former might have been able to crest the commendable 1,000-yard mark, further solidifying himself as a legitimate receiving target.
Here's what PFF had to say about Jennings' breakout efforts:
"As the 49ers endured another injury-ravaged season, Jennings was a consistently good force at wide receiver. His 83.7 PFF receiving grade ranked 17th among receivers with 50 or more targets, while he was also 14th in yards per route run (2.26). Jennings proved his mettle as a blocker, too, with his 74.8 PFF pass-blocking grade the eighth-best mark among receivers. Given that San Francisco may shuffle the deck by trading a player like Deebo Samuel, Jennings will continue to be a focal point in 2025."
The mention of Samuel as a potential trade candidate is interesting, although the 49ers publicly stated after the season's conclusion that Samuel wasn't poised for the chopping block.
However, Aiyuk's injury recovery could easily extend into the early portions of 2025, meaning Jennings' role as a go-to target shouldn't change too much.
If at all.
And, at least judging by PFF's assessment, Jennings won't be so much of a secret any longer.