The 49ers should consider trading this wide receiver

It's time.

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch before the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers have been active in the wide receiver market and may still be shopping around. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report went through one trade scenario for every team, and had the 49ers dealing Jauan Jennings to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for wide receiver Tre Tucker and a fourth-round pick.

Should the San Francisco 49ers trade Jauan Jennings?

On the surface, it feels like a win for the Raiders and a loss for the 49ers. Even the way that it is framed shows that the Raiders get a playmaker, Jennings gets the contract he wants, and the 49ers get, in the words of the author, an underperforming wideout. 

Yes, Tucker could thrive in this system, and yes, the pick helps, but are the 49ers really that desperate to move on from Jennings? Do they need to shed the salary that badly?

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The pro side to Tucker is that not only does he have two more years of team control on a rookie salary, but he is also just 24 years old. Jennings is going to be 28 years old and was drafted when he was 24 years old. So, while Tucker has not exploded like Jennings yet, he has 870 yards before the age that Jennings even entered the NFL. 

More than that, his 870 yards in his first two seasons are greater than the 698 that Jennings posted in his first two seasons in the NFL. Tucker is coming off a 539-yard season, which is better than any year Jennings had before 2024. Jennings only broke out in the right system with the right chance, so the same can be said for Tucker. 

Still, Jennings is a big possession receiver who runs 51% of his routes from the slot. Tucker is a small speed threat who runs 28% of his routes from the slot. With Brandon Aiyuk back, it would be interesting to see how Aiyuk, Tucker, and Ricky Pearsall would fit together and which receiver would shift into the slot for those looks. 

Tucker is young; he flashed, but he is still not known yet, so he can be acquired cheaply. He is also on a salary that fits into the Brock Purdy timeline. This makes him intriguing. However, the upside that Jennings already displayed, and the questionable fit, may have San Francisco telling Las Vegas that a third-round pick and Tucker could get the job done, not a fourth and Tucker.