With the majority of the attention focussed on Bears top pick Justin Fields people would be mistaken if they lose focus on Teven Jenkins. The second round pick out of Oklahoma State had first round grades from a lot of the draftnik community, and could be absolute steal for the Bears at number 39.
Jenkins is one of those players where you look at his roster photo and think: that guy? Really? But Jenkins proved time and time again in college that he has the ability to be a stalwart along the line for years to come. And at 6’6″ and 317-pounds there’s definitely a lot of him to get around.
Draft Network had this to say about Jenkins, “Jenkins’ best example of his football intelligence is within his patience on blocks. Frequently asked to play on different levels, he has little trouble with climbing to take on second-level defenders.“
In fact Kyle Crabbs of Draft Network ranked Teven Jenkins as the 13th best player in the entire draft, and the third best tackle.
TEVEN JENKINS IS A VIOLENT MAN
The NFL is a very different beast to college, but Jenkins totally wrecked it at Oklahoma State winning more awards than he could fit in his carry on luggage. Among his donors:
2018 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2018 Barry Sanders Award for most contribution with the least recognition
2019 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2019 OSU Thurman Thomas Award (outstanding offensive player)
2020 First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2020 First-Team All-Big 12 (AP)
2020 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year (Coaches)
Like Draft Network, PFF graded Teven Jenkins the third best tackle in college football in 2020 with an overall grade of , assigning him a 99.0% blocking efficiency grade on his way to allowing just four pressures in 211 pass blocking snaps. His run blocking grade of was also good for third in the nation.
The more film you watch, the more experts you read the better and better Jenkins gets. There is only one downside on this kid and that’s his injuries. Suffering back and knee issues in his final year at Oklahoma St before option to forego the end of the season.
As for Teven Jenkins confidence, there’s no worries there either. Jenkins had this to say after the draft, “I feel like personally I’m a first-round talent. Regardless of where I went, I’m not mad about it. I’m not going to lose any sleep about it. I came into yesterday with no expectations. I came into today knowing I would be picked on this day.
I went to sleep with the mindset that everybody who passed on me, 32 picks, I’m going to be able to make sure everybody rues that day they didn’t pick. I’m going into every weight room, every weight, doing everything 200%. I don’t care if my body is aching, sore, anything. I’m going to be pushing myself to the max because I want to show everybody I was a Day 1 talent.”
We’re excited to see Teven Jenkins growth in the coming seasons. He likely starts his career on the right side of the line this coming season. But the ceiling for this kid is extremely high, and Bears fans will love to see this kid mauling and pancaking his way through defensive players.
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