Jenkins, the son of the former four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle bearing the same name, was the No. 36-rated player on The Athletic “Big Board” and brings rare talent physically, at 6-foot-2, 299 pounds, while still being light on his feet.
A team captain, Jenkins was a key cog in the No. 1-ranked defense and a national championship squad. He was among the players the Bengals brought in for a “top 30″ visit, and he made for an easy decision when they went on the clock.
“It’s really funny on my 30 visit (with him), one of the notes I made to myself was I didn’t have much to talk to him about because I didn’t have a lot of questions about him,” Taylor said. “He’s a polished guy, captain at Michigan, checks every box. There wasn’t a lot you had to dig into him with so we just had a nice, friendly conversation, but there wasn’t a lot of questions I needed answered because we had the information we need. We really liked the guy and were happy he was there at No. 49.”
Jenkins was equally excited to join a “winning culture” with the Bengals.
“Tonight’s been amazing, nothing but a dream, surrounded by friends and family to get this opportunity that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid, to finally make a name for myself and this Jenkins family, and I’m just excited for this opportunity the Bengals have blessed me with,” Jenkins said via conference call.
The Bengals needed a strong run stopper on their defensive line after losing DJ Reader in free agency. They signed Sheldon Rankins, who has been on strong run defenses in the past, but he’s better known for his pass rushing ability. Cincinnati also had a hole with Josh Tupou no longer on the roster. Jenkins slides right into the rotation with Rankins and BJ Hill.
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo called Jenkins a “tough run defender” with “great football instincts” and someone that could be a three-down player and fill multiple roles.
“He’s a stout guy in the run game, and we can kind of build on his game from there,” Anarumo said.
Jenkins said he just views himself as a defensive tackle, and his goal is to “become a more complete player” in the NFL. He patterned his game after his father, Kris Jenkins Sr., who was a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2001, and uncle, Cullen Jenkins, who also played in the NFL.
From them, he said he learned how to be a better player and man and fight through adversity to achieve great things. Jenkins was near the top of the “Feldman’s Freaks” list in 2023 with a three-cone time of 7.16 seconds, a 9-foot, 8-inch broad jump and a 34-inch vertical to go along with unusual strength and power, as evidenced by “The Mutant” nickname his strength coach, Ben Herbert, gave him as a sophomore.
“I just went above and beyond in the weight room, and I did some things that people looking at me wouldn’t expect me to do,” Jenkins said. “And he said my mentality, how I carry myself, how I push myself through adversity, injury, anything is a ‘mutant mentality,’ and that’s why he gave the name to me my sophomore year, and it stuck ever since.”
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