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NFL Draft: Vols WR Jauan Jennings taken by San Francisco 49ers

ByCaleb Calhoun|
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Jauan Jennings #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers before the game between the East Tennessee State Buccaneers and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Jauan Jennings #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers before the game between the East Tennessee State Buccaneers and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

Former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Jauan Jenning was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He had to wait until the seventh round, but Jauan Jennings became the second Tennessee football player taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, following Darrell Taylor, who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round. And it likely worked out given the fact that he was taken by a team that just missed out on the championship this past year.

Yes, the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers ended up taking Jennings. Despite most projections having him going in the sixth round, he was taken with the third pick of the seventh round, the 217th pick overall.

Jennings was the second wide receiver taken by San Francisco in this year’s NFL Draft, following Brandon Aiyuk, who was a first-rounder. However, is he still going to a very good situation, as Aiyuk is only 6’0″ 205 pounds.

Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan clearly need a big target, as Aiyuk joins Deebo Samuel. And there is also room for multiple receivers in a rotation with the departure of Emmanuel Sanders. As a result, Jennings could not have asked for much better of a situation.

Given his production this past year, with nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 11 total touchdowns, Jennings seemed like he would be a higher pick at 6’3″ 215 pounds. Leading the nation in yards after contact after first catch seemed to work even more in his favor.

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Then there are the intangibles. Eight of Jennings’ 11 touchdowns resulted in lead changes, and back in 2016, he caught the go-ahead touchdown in UT’s win over the Florida Gators before catching the Hail Mary pass to beat the Georgia Bulldogs a week later. In 2018, he caught the go-ahead touchdown in the Vols’ upset win at the Auburn Tigers.

Add in his leadership qualities and instincts, and Jennings is a gamer. However, his 4.72 40-time and his injury history, which included missing the entire 2017 season, hurt. Then there were other issues, including two off-the-field and one suspension for an on-field issue.

These are likely the reasons he fell in the NFL Draft. However, almost none of those issues have existed over the past couple of years, and he makes up for his drawbacks with all of his intangibles. It also helps that he’s going to a team who just found a starter from Rocky Top who was an undrafted free agent and a teammate of Jennings, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.

Taking all of this into account, Jennings’ wait likely paid off. He’s in the perfect situation, as the 49ers clearly needed to upgrade their passing game given how the playoffs went and the fact that they lost Sanders.

Add in the fact that Jennings is the only receiver with his profile on San Francisco, and he could be just the player they need. Don’t be surprised if he’s the one who gets them over the hump, as he went to exactly the best fit for him in the NFL Draft.

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