2011 49ers Grades: Brian Jennings

Ah, we finally come to a real player worth of being graded. No more NaVorro Bowman, David Akers or Dashon Goldson, we move on to the real player who has a real impact on the game. A player who's skillset is among the best the NFL has ever seen; one who's legend will eventually be put to paper in prose and repeated around many a fireplace.

Today, we come to judge Brian Jennings, longsnapper of the San Francisco 49ers.

It's not a task I take lightly, nor is it one I relish. If the praise isn't high enough, is that then hubris? How are mere mortals such as ourselves supposed to judge a higher power? But it's our burden, and one that we'll share together. But how to we actually start to evaluate one with so important a job as long snapper?

Without him, balls would not be snapped long, or even mid-range. Jonathan Goodwin is talented, I grant you that, but he's hardly got the snapping chops to compare to anything Jennings has to offer. If it were up to me, Alex Smith wouldn't even be the quarterback. Goodwin would just snap to Jennings, who is facing away from the ball, who catches it and snaps it downfield to a receiver.

In all seriousness, Jennings is great at what he does, just made his second Pro Bowl appearance, is locked up until the end of time and, though the 49ers signed a tight end who doubled as a long snapper to a future contract at the end of the season, he's not going anywhere any time soon. Plus he hit a referee with a ball this season, so all 10's across the board, yes?