Ebony Bird round table: Combine players for Baltimore Ravens to watch

Darin McCann: Jauan Jennings, WR, Tennessee

The eyes of the NFL scouting world are on the 2020 prospects at this week’s Scouting Combine, and though the Ravens enter this offseason in pretty good shape to be competitive next season, they will be scouring the Combine for more help.

And on the second day of the draft, those eyes should be firmly on Tennessee receiver Jauan Jennings.

The 6’3″ receiver had a tumultuous stay in Knoxville, dealing with both injuries and a suspension (for mouthing off about the then-staff at Tennessee). But he has size, he has run-after-the-catch ability and… oh, yeah. He is a straight dog — and I mean that in the best of ways.

Definitely not a blazer (his Combine runs will be scrutinized simply to be certain he can at least hit the basic athletic thresholds to play the position in the NFL), Jennings is a beast with the ball in his hands, routinely running through tackles and bouncing off hard hits. He has also shown to be a dangerous weapon on jump balls and using his big frame to gain leverage in slants and comebacks.

His highlight reel is not that of a “video-game” talent, like a Marquise Brown or Randy Moss, but more so as the kind of guy who can make a contested catch on third-and-five and turn it into a big gain by breaking tackles. As The Draft Network’s Ben Sikkema wrote about Jennings, he’s “not afraid to go full speed into defenders for blocks.” That is also a big key for the run-dominant Ravens.

Jennings will not go in the first round because he’s missing that top-shelf speed, and because of past injuries and the suspension. But he could be an interesting and creative weapon for a creative offense like the Ravens.