Getty Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Jenkins Jr. in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft (No. 49 overall) on April 26, addressing a much-needed position they needed to fill on the defensive front.
Jenkins Jr. is the latest link in an NFL family. His father, Kris Jenkins, played 10 seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2010 for the Carolina Panthers, where he was a three-time NFL All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler. Jenkins was also a second-round pick when the Panthers selected him out of Maryland with the 44th overall pick in 2001.
Jenkins’ younger brother and Jenkins Jr.’s uncle, defensive end Cullen Jenkins, went undrafted out of Central Michigan in 2003 and played 14 seasons in the NFL, where he won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2010.
Jenkins Jr. posted a picture of himself in a Bengals hat on X with a “Who Dey #Bengals” caption shortly after he was drafted.
Kris Jenkins Jr. Made a Big Impression in 2023
Jenkins Jr. ended his career at Michigan by starting 29 consecutive games and leading the Wolverines to back-to-back berths in the College Football Playoff, capped by a 15-0 season and a national championship in 2023.
Jenkins Jr. was an All-Big Ten selection in 2022 and 2023. He earned third-team Associated Press All-American honors and was one of Michigan’s team captains in 2023.
Jenkins Jr. had 91 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 1 interception over his last two seasons. At the NFL combine, Jenkins ran an impressive 4.91-second 40-yard dash.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had Jenkins Jr. projected as a second-round pick in his pre-draft evaluation.
“(Jenkins Jr.) possesses rare pedigree with a college football national title under his belt and a father who was a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle,” Zierlein said. “Jenkins has a smaller frame for his position, but he plays with good strength in one-on-one power swaps … His motor stays engaged. He’s frequently running down ball-carriers and chasing quarterbacks by the end of the play.
“Jenkins flashes more rush talent than his sack production would indicate, but he still needs to work on developing more go-to moves to pair with his spin counter.”
Bengals Face Uncertainty on Defensive Front
The Bengals are facing some uncertainty on the defensive front in 2024.
NFL All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson is coming off the best year of his career with 17.5 sacks. Hendrickson was named first-team NFL All-Pro in 2023 but requested a trade in the days before the draft out of frustration for not securing a long-term contract extension.
Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard is coming off “significant” surgery on his right ankle in the offseason.
The Bengals haven’t had an elite presence on the interior defensive line since Geno Atkins’ last full season with the team in 2019.
Atkins was drafted in the fourth round out of Georgia in 2010 and played 11 seasons for the Bengals, making the NFL All-Pro Team three times and the Pro Bowl eight times. He was also selected to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.