How much will missing a season impact Brandon Jenkins’ draft stock?

Prospect: Brandon Jenkins, OLB, Florida State
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 260 lb.
Grade: 7.1

Athleticism:
• Incredible burst off the snap, accelerates quickly
• Hips extremely flexible with balance
• Doesn’t play with significant power, speed reliant as pass rusher

Intelligence/Effort:
• Adequate motor, gets to the ball at high rate
• Can be slow as a read and react defender, ball awareness a question mark

Pass Rush:
• Has speed to consistently win around the corner
• Utilizes an impactful dip and rip move, also possesses a tight and quick spin move
• Heavy initial punch which can knock blockers off balance, hands are very active
• Doesn’t generate power from lower half, limits bullrush ability
• Uses hip flexibility to generate extremely low pad level

Run Support:
• Inconsistent setting an edge
• Struggles to disengage and close on football, high amounts of energy put towards shedding blocks
• Can absorb multiple blockers at point of attack
• Little experience playing run from off the line of scrimmage
• Not a powerful tackler, struggles to finish at times

Coverage:
• Rare forays into coverage, limited experience
• Will lock his eyes onto quarterback, lacks instincts for receivers around him in zone coverage

Overall:
Entering his senior season, Brandon Jenkins was one of the most highly-regard pass rushers. During the season’s first game, he suffered a lisfranc foot injury which ended his season. Lisfranc injuries are complicated and will require teams to look into his health during the pre-draft process. If you get a healthy Brandon Jenkins, you’re getting a pass rusher with top-level athleticism. He played as a defensive end in Mark Stoops’ 4-3 defense, but may best translate to a 3-4. Jenkins had his struggles to stack and shed against the run in the 4-3. As a 3-4 outside linebacker, his abilities as a dynamic edge rusher are best utilized. It wouldn’t be beyond reason for a 4-3 team to pull the trigger though. He’s shown the ability to produce from a three point stance, and a team may feel they can develop him in the running game. Either way, Jenkins’ pass rush skills can transcend scheme which makes him a valuable prospect, despite essentially missing an entire season of football.