This post isn’t for most 49ers fans.
Most 49ers fans are acutely aware of wide receiver Jauan Jennings and the impact he has on the field whether it’s inside or outside the stat sheet.
Most non-49ers fans (who aren’t Tennessee Volunteers fans) are probably much less aware of Jennings’ impact, which is why his selection as the 49ers’ most under-appreciated player in a list by NFL media’s Tom Blair makes a ton of sense.
In the 21st century a player’s claim to nationwide fame in the NFL is almost directly tied to their fantasy football impact. That’s why someone like Jennings, who has 78 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns in his career, doesn’t reach that ‘household name’ status the way someone like Justin Jefferson has. Still, his value on the stat sheet shows even in those 78 receptions. Of his 78 career catches, 50 (!) of them (64 percent) have gone for either a first down or a touchdown. His ‘Third-and-Jauan’ nickname works thanks to his reliability on contested catches and his tenacity after the catch. He singlehandedly creates first downs on plays most No. 3 WRs wouldn’t.
Then there’s the value he brings as a big-bodied run blocker. His size and willingness to stick his nose in as a blocker gives head coach Kyle Shanahan a ton of options with how he can use Jennings in formations and pre-snap motion. And Jennings flat out produces as a run blocker.
Pro Football Focus had Jennings down for the third-best run blocking grade among WRs with at least 140 run blocking snaps last season. He was fourth in the NFL in that category in 2021.
It gives the 49ers’ offense, which rarely operates out of three-WR sets, added flexibility with how they run and pass out of those formations. Replacing Jennings from a sheer stat-sheet production standpoint wouldn’t be difficult. Replacing him as a blocker and chain-mover would be much harder. It’s why the 49ers worked hard to get him extended beyond a one-year restricted free agent tender, and wound up getting him on a two-year extension worth up to $15.4 million with $10.5 million guaranteed. They’re aware of Jennings’ impact, and it matters a ton for their offense even if Jennings isn’t a household name.
