Second year WR A.J. Jenkins spent six weeks with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and fellow wideout Ricardo Lockette in Atlanta where they concentrated on strength and speed training. It remains to be seen whether that work will translate to the field, but recent photos of Jenkins show a more bulked-up receiver, and the reports from Atlanta were positive as well.
Said Lockette: "I think A.J. will definitely surprise a lot of people this year. Last year, he took it as a building year. This year from what I've seen so far, it's night and day. I expect big things out of him. He expects big things out of himself, and Kap expects big things out of him. I think Niner nation and the Niner empire will be proud of what A.J. Jenkins brings to the field this year."
Said Aaron Roberts of CES Performance, which is where the group of 49ers trained: "From what we heard, (Jenkins) was not a real big weight room guy coming in, but he did a great job. He definitely showed progress."
The 49ers' starting receivers promise to be Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin. The third receiver spot, however, is wide open. Two of the veteran frontrunners, Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham, are coming off of ACL injuries, and neither is expected to be full participants in the OTA sessions that begin next week.
Manningham figures to be the favorite if his knee is ready. Jenkins will be in the mix as well.
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