Even though the 49ers admitted an expensive mistake by trading former first-rounder A.J. Jenkins to the Chiefs, there are still people in the organization who think the second-year wide receiver can become something.
Tight end Vernon Davis had supported Jenkins before he was given away (in exchange for Chiefs draft bust Jon Baldwin), and said the trade could serve as a wake-up call.
“Maybe take his approach toward the game up a notch,” Davis said when asked what Jenkins should do differently in Kansas City, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “I think that be some he can benefit from. Just take his approach up a little bit more. Go above and beyond being a professional. . . .
“Not on the field. Not his game. I’m just talking away from the game. As far as studying habits — I think he had good study habits when he was here. Studying, being a professional, trying to help himself as well as helping other guys, the younger guys that come in. And just owning his position, embracing it and just going to the next level.
“If he really wants it inside his heart, it will work out for him. It will pay dividends.”
Jenkins has a chance now with a team that didn’t overdraft him by many rounds, and that fresh start could benefit him. But if he doesn’t take the second chance for what it is, the Chiefs’ investment isn’t such that they have to keep giving him more opportunities.