Kansas City acquired wide receiver A.J. Jenkins from San…

The Exchange

Kansas City and San Francisco swapped former first-round wide receivers on August 19, 2013. The Chiefs sent Jonathan Baldwin, the No. 26 pick in 2011, to the 49ers for A.J. Jenkins, the No. 30 pick in 2012. Neither player had met expectations with his original team, so the deal was essentially a change-of-scenery bet for both clubs.

Jenkins in Kansas City

Jenkins did not become a major weapon, but he did provide some usable depth. He appeared in all 16 games in 2013 and caught eight passes for 130 yards. In 2014 he added nine receptions, bringing his Kansas City receiving total to 17 catches for 223 yards. That is a small return, yet it represents two seasons of roster contribution.

Baldwin in San Francisco

The 49ers received even less. Baldwin appeared in seven games during the 2013 season and caught three passes for 28 yards. He did not score a touchdown and did not become part of San Francisco's long-term receiver group. His stay effectively ended after that single season.

Comparing the Returns

This was not a high-value win for Kansas City. Jenkins never approached the expectations attached to his draft status, and the Chiefs eventually moved on. Still, the trade must be judged against what each club actually received. Jenkins played more games, stayed longer, and produced substantially more receiving yardage than Baldwin did in San Francisco.

Final Verdict

Kansas City Chiefs Win. Kansas City earns a C-plus because Jenkins supplied two seasons of modest depth and some offensive production. San Francisco receives a D because Baldwin contributed only three catches in seven games. The ceiling was low on both sides, but the Chiefs clearly extracted more from the swap.

Jenkins's two Kansas City seasons clearly exceeded Baldwin's brief, low-production San Francisco tenure in realized football value.