Kris Jenkins selected by Cincinnati Bengals in second round of 2024 NFL Draft
Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle Kris Jenkins has come off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second with the No. 49 overall pick. He joins former Michigan teammates Daxton Hill and DJ Turner in Cincinnati.
Jenkins is a two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches, 2023; third team, media, 2023; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022) and appeared in 44 career games in Ann Arbor with 32 starts along the defensive line.
Jenkins was voted as a team captain this season and held down the middle of Michigan’s defensive line, often doing the dirty work and setting others up for success. Jenkins had 37 total tackles with 2.5 sacks this year to go along with a fumble recovery and an interception. His play earned him second-team All-American nods by the AFCA and FWAA and third-team recognition by the AP, The Athletic and CBS Sports.
“Leverage, leverage, leverage. Every time I watched them play, pad level when he comes off the ball, fast hands, resets the line of scrimmage,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said. “Actually, he looked good rushing from a two-point stance when they moved him around and stood him up on the interior.
“Can they get him to finish now on the interior? That’s exactly what they need. They need interior pass-rush push. That’s what they haven’t had to go along with what Trey Hendrickson has been able to give them on the outside and Sam Hubbard on the other side. If they can develop his pass rush, if Lou Anarumo, the defensive coordinator, can get him to finish, it’s a perfect pick, in terms of what they needed.”
Most of Jenkins’ contributions to the Michigan defense came in areas that do not show up in a box score, which he embraced.
“You want to get 10-12 sacks. That is the dream,” Jenkins said at the NFL Combine. “But after a while, you want to be the No. 1 defense in the country as well. And that’s where we talk about playing as a unit mentality. You want to be an impact player. And there was more on the field after watching film that we could have done, or opportunities we missed. But we’re focusing on having success as a unit more so than having success individually, and we’re going to do anything in our power to make sure that happens.
He continued: “I’m a disciplined player. I’m gonna get you whatever you need. You tell me to do something, I can. If you need me to be an impact player, I’m gonna do everything in my power to do that. If you need me to be a gritty trench player and do the dirty work, I’m gonna do whatever I can to do that.
“I’m gonna give you whatever you need out of me. I’ve learned to be humble. I’ve learned to be where my feet are. I’m going to impact and help the team in any way that I can.”
Pro Football Focus ranks Jenkins 50th among all prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
“Jenkins is one of the strongest players in the draft,” his profile reads. “He is a run stopper at heart who is most comfortable and confident holding the line. His run-stop percentage ranks in the 99th percentile due to how well he can hold up against double teams and control one-on-one run-blocking situations. He has an explosive lateral first step that allows him to get across a guard’s face and into gaps, but he does not bring that same level of explosiveness to getting upfield as a pass rusher. His biggest knock is arm length, which will likely be well below average for NFL standards. This appears as an issue when gaining leverage and separation through contact.”
The 2024 NFL Draft runs through April 27 from Campus Martius in Downtown Detroit, which is 45 minutes east of Ann Arbor.
