Assessing the value the Bengals got in Kris Jenkins

Defensive tackle was the Cincinnati Bengals’ most pressing need entering the NFL Draft.

Luckily, they landed one of the best in this year’s class, selecting Michigan Wolverines star standout Kris Jenkins 49th overall. He’s the son of former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, as well as the nephew of Super Bowl champion defensive end Cullen Jenkins.

Over the last two seasons, the younger Jenkins racked up 91 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks while anchoring a defense that helped Michigan reach the College Football Playoff and win it all this past year.

Heading into the draft, Jenkins was widely viewed as a Day 2 prospect.

• ESPN had Jenkins ranked 47th overall.
• Pro Football Focus had him 50th.
• CBS Sports ranked him 69th.
• Sporting News had him 58th.
• The Consensus Big Board, which factors in all the rankings across the internet, had Jenkins ranked 51st.
• NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Jenkins a Round 2 projection and a 6.30 grade, putting him in the ‘Will Eventually Be Plus Starter’ tier. Here is Zierlein’s scouting report of Jenkins:

Possesses rare pedigree with a college football national title under his belt and a father who was a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Jenkins has a smaller frame for his position, but he plays with good strength in one-on-one power swaps. He can neutralize single blocks but has trouble fighting back to muddy his gap against double-teams. 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. Jenkins isn’t a natural two-gapper, but he can play upfield or read-and-react football on the next level as an eventual starter capable of creating disruptions.

Looking ahead, Jenkins figures to have a prominent role as a rookie, and he may even challenge for a starting spot, depending on how the Bengals handle the two defensive tackle spots.

After all, Jenkins is more of a three-technique like BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins, not a true nose tackle like DJ Reader was. Saying this, defensive line coach Marion Hobby does think Jenkins could help fill that Reader role for Cincinnati (via Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson).

The son doesn’t have those 60 pounds, but Bengals defensive line coach Marion Hobby, seeking to replace nose tackle DJ Reader, has been impressed enough with his strength to talk to him about being one of the answers at nose tackle.

“I’m not going in there. He might have to,” Hobby says. “He’s comfortable in there. I talked to him about it. He says, ‘Coach, no problem. That’s second nature to me.’ I think he can swing anywhere he wants to swing in there. He’s strong enough. Sometimes it’s beating them to the punch. It’s not so much heaviness, it’s getting hands on them before they get their hands on me.”

Like most rookies on both sides of the trenches, Jenkins probably needs a year or two in an NFL weightlifting program before he’s ready for a full-time role, especially in a division as physical and grueling as the AFC North. However, we should expect to see plenty of No. 90 on the field this season.