While Deebo Samuel was admittedly overweight and others (Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall) missed time, a new hero emerged in the San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver corps last season.
Jauan Jennings had a breakthrough 2024 season, leading the 49ers with 113 targets as he more than doubled his previous career-bests in receptions and receiving yards with 77 and 975 respectively.
Jennings is line up for a big role again this season, with Samuel gone to the Washington Commanders and Aiyuk likely out into the regular season as he works his way back from a major knee injury. Free-agent signing Demarcus Robinson is also facing an early-season suspension.
Still, Jennings is easy to overlook in every capacity and he easily falls through the cracks when it comes to broader recognition. The 2025 season is a huge one for him, the final year of his contract, as he looks to prove last year was not a fluke sheerly driven by circumstance.
Supposed 'best-kept secret' for 49ers has to prove he's no secret at all
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report has named a player who is each NFL team's "best-kept secret", with Jennings as the lowest-hanging fruit for the 49ers.
"San Francisco’s receiving corps was a mess last year between Deebo Samuel’s declining production, Brandon Aiyuk seeking a new contract and then suffering a season-ending knee injury, and Ricky Pearsall beginning the campaign on the NFI list after getting shot in the chest."
"But the silver lining is that it paved the way for Jennings to have a breakout performance."
"In the three years prior to 2024, the 2020 seventh-round pick had 78 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns. But he managed to double his career production last season with 77 grabs, 975 yards and six scores. That sets up for Jennings to be a quality WR3, at the least, now that Samuel is in Washington."
The 49ers having such a disappointing 2024 season, with everything that entailed, is a sure-fire factor in Jennings being as broadly under the radar as he is despite having a breakthrough campaign. This year is about him emerging from that overlooked status on a national scale with another productive season.
If he does so, he'll also naturally line himself up for a nice pay day.
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