Kris Jenkins selected by Bengals with 49th overall pick
After four seasons in Ann Arbor playing for the Michigan Wolverines, defensive lineman Kris Jenkins is off to the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals have selected Jenkins with the 49th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jenkins, the son of four-time Pro-Bowler Kris Jenkins Sr., arrived in Ann Arbor as a strong side defensive end. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Jenkins was undersized for a defensive end.
Under the elite strength training of Ben Herbert and nutrition plan of Abigail O'Connor, Jenkins began to add weight, and he eventually moved to defensive tackle.
As a freshman in 2020, Jenkins appeared in one game. He earned Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week honors along with Jaylen Harrell, as the two helped the Wolverines prepare for Minnesota, the season-opening game.
Jenkins played in all 14 games as a sophomore in 2021. He recorded 22 total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. His best games were against Washington during the Maize Out, and against Georgia in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
In 2022, Jenkins started in all 14 games at defensive tackle. Playing alongside Mazi Smith, Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, Rayshaun Benny and Cam Goode, Jenkins put up the best stats of his career during his junior season.
He recorded 54 total tackles and two sacks in 14 games. In every contest during the 2022 season, Jenkins recorded no fewer than two tackles and no more than five. His consistency as a junior was off the charts.
Jenkins' production took a slight drop off in 2023, a season he was elected as captain for the Michigan Wolverines. With the emergence of Graham, Grant and Benny, Jenkins' stats were not as flashy, but he was elite in stopping the rushing attack of the opponent.
He finished the year with 37 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His 2023 season was highlighted by an interception against Bowling Green that he nearly took to the end zone for a touchdown.
Now at 299 pounds, Jenkins has bulked up, but likely still needs to add some weight to be productive in the NFL.
"A big part of Kris Jenkins Jr.'s draft stock is rooted in him being ranked so high on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes at the end of the summer," NFL Scout Matt Holder wrote for Bleacher Report.
"On the field, his weight room strength certainly pops up and helps him be a quality run defender. He routinely commands double-teams and can make plays off stalemates, as he made several tackles with offensive linemen hanging onto him."
"However, Jenkins' athleticism was only seen in flashes on tape. He'll have a few reps where his movement skills stand out, but those are rare. His game is more rooted in strength and power, but he doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher right now."
"The Michigan product has a subpar get-off and a habit of stopping his feet on contact, which reduces the effectiveness and consistency of his bull rush. While he had some nice wins with an inside spin move, those were few and far between, as his use of his hands as a rusher is bad and his athleticism hasn't translated to this area of his game yet."
Jenkins will now head to Cincinnati, where he will join former Wolverines D.J. Turner and Daxton Hill. He will play for head coach Zac Taylor.
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