The 49ers might’ve gotten a steal with their final pick in this year’s draft. They used the 217th overall pick to select Tennessee wide receiver Jauan Jennings – a player Pro Football Focus valued in the third round. His skill set is something 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan should be able to take full advantage of.

It’s easy to see how Jennings was overlooked by the league. He was temporarily dismissed from the Volunteers’ program for a profanity-laced video on social media directed at the team’s coaching staff. Then he didn’t test well with a 4.72 40-yard dash and just a 29-inch vertical leap.

However, his skill set drew a comparison by PFF to former 49ers first-round pick Michael Crabtree. Jennings was the No. 70 player on the football analytics site’s draft board.

While the production and athleticism aren’t great, his after-the-catch ability is likely what stood out to Shanahan. Jennings racked up missed tackles on 51 percent of his receptions– the highest mark in the class, which is especially impressive since Jennings plays in the SEC.

Percentage of catches that a WR forced a missed tackle:

1. Jauan Jennings – 51%
2. Ceedee Lamb – 42%
3. Ja'Marcus Bradley – 38% pic.twitter.com/BsigSZH5c7

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 3, 2020

Shanahan’s offense thrives on receivers who break tackles and generate yards after the catch on short throws, and that’s Jennings’ specialty.

He’s not guaranteed a roster spot as a seventh-round pick. The 49ers receiving corps needs help though, and Jennings has a skill set that should translate quickly in the NFL. If he can convert on third downs and in the red zone as a big, physical target while racking up receiving yards after the catch – Jennings may carve out a big role quickly in his pro career.

The 49ers used the 217th pick in the 2020 NFL draft to select Tennessee wide receiver Jauan Jennings.

Despite not going until the seventh round, Jennings will have a shot to make the roster with an unproven group at that position. He’s the second receiver selected by San Francisco. They also took Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk in Round 1.

Jennings comes with very good size at 6-3, 215 pounds. He was the Volunteers team MVP a season ago while hauling in 59 passes for 969 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 51 yards.  Jennings was dismissed from the team as a junior for a profanity-laced video aimed at the Tennessee coaching staff.  He played just one game that year. He wound up returning for his final two years.

Across five seasons he had 146 receptions, 2,153 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He’s very good after the catch and does a nice job using his frame to box out defenders. Jennings has to use his physicality because his 4.72 40-yard dash doesn’t allow for a ton of separation. His skill set could wind up earning him a role as a fourth or fifth receiver early in his career.