San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) lines up against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a flurry of moves this offseason, turning over a good chunk of the roster in an effort to close the gap between them and the AFC’s top contenders. One glaring need that went unaddressed was the WR2 position, with George Pickens shipped out of town. The options on the free agent market are unsurprisingly underwhelming, but over the last 24 hours, an intriguing playmaker has requested a trade—San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings.
2024 was an unexpected breakout campaign for the fourth-year pro, going from utility man/safety blanket on third down to a legitimate weapon in the passing game. He crushed his career highs across the board in all of the box score categories but also improved in more advanced metrics such as yards per route run, EPA per target, and wins above replacement. Now, we’re left to figure out whether his ascension is sustainable over a larger sample size or if this was simply a flash in the pan simply fostered by more opportunities. To figure that out, I dove into his film to figure out whether this is someone that the Steelers should aggressively pursue.
Where Jennings Wins
This is a big, physical receiver with outstanding size and very good play strength that shows up in all three phases of receiver play: before the throw, at the catch point, and after the reception. There is an old saying in sports that best describes his style of play: “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” Despite not being an explosive athlete, he’s still able to create separation for himself versus man coverage by understanding how to set defenders up at the break point with calculated footwork and/or head fakes, or by simply using his body to lean on opponents before breaking opposite. He aggressively works back to the ball in flight and knows how to use his frame to shield off defenders, remaining unfazed through contact even on high-impact collisions over the middle.
Throughout his time with the Niners, he’s aligned primarily as a power slot or flanker, but due to injuries, he was thrust into the X-receiver role last season. On the inside, his route tree primarily consists of short out-breakers that were extremely high percentage conversions for the offense. Kyle Shanahan also liked to put him in stacks or bunches to give him a free release on option routes, allowing him to attack the leverage of defenders underneath. Like the Steelers offense, they often put their outside receivers in condensed splits, and this is where Jennings would work a lot of intermediate in-breaking routes, especially off play-action, where his catch radius comes in handy. When lining up closer to the sideline, he would frequently work curl routes after bullying defenders through the rep.
With his quarterback Brock Purdy being a guy with some second-reaction ability, he is generally solid in the scramble drill. His toughness is really his best trait as a player, and it shows up big-time, both as a blocker and runner. He’s used to being given the less than glamorous assignments, such as digging out safety on runs between the tackles, cracking linebackers to spring perimeter runs, and even occasionally inserting inside as a pseudo-fullback. He plays to the whistle, and there’s nothing he can’t do in this phase. After the catch, he can occasionally make a guy miss in the open field but makes his money powering through contact. There are several examples from last season where multiple defenders are draped on his back while he fights for a few extra yards to earn a first down for his unit.
Where Jennings Struggles
He’s slow, and while that doesn’t prevent him from getting open on a regular basis on the first two levels of the field, it does put a hard cap on his ceiling as a player. He wasn’t asked to stretch the field vertically very often, but in the rare instances that he was asked to run those routes, he was unable to stack defenders and run away from them. While smooth, he’s not explosive out of his breaks either and better athletes can occasionally recover ground versus him if the throw isn’t out on time. The cornerbacks who had the most success against him are the ones who are the most disciplined in staying square until he breaks but that’s easier said than done because of how crafty he is.
Jennings’ Fit in Pittsburgh’s offense
The reason that this move makes so much sense on paper is because while he’s not the flashiest receiver in the league, he’s exactly the archetype of player that they’re missing. He excels as a blocker that can execute difficult assignments, a contested catch player that has hauled in nearly 60% of his chances during his career, and a chain mover with alignment versatility. They already have a plethora of playmakers that can stretch the field, so his lack of ability to take the top off the defense is masked in that regard. In order to form an identity of toughness on offense, you need a junkyard dog.
The Cost to Acquire Jennings
Just because Jennings requested a trade or a raise doesn’t mean his wish will be granted. A conditional fourth-round pick seems like proper value for him, but would San Francisco rather just hold on to him in hopes that he strings another impressive season together and recoup a comp pick a year later? Kyle Shanahan has a ton of pull in that building, and rightfully so, plus I don’t think he’s going to be too awfully excited about losing a player that so perfectly fits his system. Unfortunately, this could be deja vu for the Steelers all over again.
But that shouldn’t prevent Pittsburgh from aggressively pursuing him either, especially considering the lackluster options currently available on the free agent market. By hypothetically trading for and subsequently extending Jennings to a similar contract structure that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver just netted (3-years, $15M AAV), they would solve one of their biggest needs on the roster. At 28-years old, this is a player that can obviously contribute right away, but also act a beneficial security blanket for whichever signal caller the franchise inevitably selects in the 2026 NFL Draft in it’s hometown.
A key measuring stick for general manager performance is whether the team rolls into consecutive seasons with the same needs, especially at premium positions such as receiver. As of right now, the Steelers appear to be on a collision course with that exact scenario unless Omar Khan can work some magic between now and September. To avoid that and truly maximize the remainder of their aging defensive core, this is likely their best path forward.
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