FanPost

A. J. Jenkins - What are the 49ers missing

I've noticed a lot of comments lately about how either A.J. Jenkins is wasting away on the bench or he was a wasted pick. First round WRs are meant to come in and contribute right away ... never mind he was 2 spots away from the second round and the 4th WR taken in the draft.

So I decided to put together a chart of all the WRs taken in the last five years, including 2012, between the 15th and 40th draft position. My thinking was a top 15 pick holds a lot more expectations and should bring much more value than 15-40. So here's the chart:

Player Year Drafted Drafted By Draft Place Games Played Games Started Recs Yards Yards Per Rec TDs
Donnie Avery 2008 Rams 33 15 12 53 674 12.7 3
Devin Thomas 2008 Redskins 34 16 1 15 120 8.5 0
Jordy Nelson 2008 Green Bay 36 16 2 33 366 11.1 2
Jeremy Maclin 2009 Eagles 19 15 13 56 773 13.8 4
Percy Harvin 2009 Vikings 22 15 8 60 790 13.2 6
Hakeem Nicks 2009 Giants 29 14 6 47 790 16.8 6
Kenny Britt 2009 Titans 30 16 6 42 701 16.7 3
Brian Robiskie 2009 Browns 36 11 1 7 106 15.1 0
Demaryius Thomas 2010 Broncos 22 10 2 22 283 12.9 2
Dez Bryant 2010 Cowboys 24 12 2 45 561 12.5 6
Arrelious Benn 2010 Bucaneers 39 15 9 25 395 15.8 2
Jonathan Baldwin 2011 Chiefs 26 2 5 18 261 14.5 1
Kendall Wright 2012 Titans 20 13 5 59 555 9.4 4
Brian Quick 2012 Rams 33 3 1 11 156 14.2 2

As you can see, not a single WR started all 16 games. Donnie Avery got the closest to starting all 16 games, but then he was on a Rams team that went 2-14 that year.

Some of the rookies were decent contributors right away, but none of them had knock out stats. All of them got the chance to start at least one game. Did the 49ers totally whiff on their first round pick, or are they simply not giving him the opportunities to accumulate mediocre stats and make rookie mistakes like the rest of the guys on this chart? Will holding him back help Jenkins develop, or is it just delaying the inevitable?

After looking over the "expectations" of a WR drafted in Jenkins spot, what do you guys think?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.