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The 2021 NFL Draft projects to have a strong offensive line class. There are a number of linemen who should be able to start quickly in a variety of schemes and positions.
It’s not surprising then that some linemen seem to be slipping through the cracks. Oklahoma State redshirt senior Teven Jenkins has three years of starting — and good tape — under his belt, but he doesn’t seem to be generating the buzz that some other prospects are.
It’s somewhat surprising, big, nasty, powerful run blocking linemen always seem to generate a following in the draft community.
So what does Jenkins bring to the field, and should more people be paying attention to him?
Prospect: Teven Jenkins
Games Watched: vs. Tulsa (2019), vs. TCU (2019), vs. West Virginia (2020)
Measurables
Height: 6060 (6-foot-6)
Weight: 320 pounds
Games played: 44 (7 in 2020)
Quick Summary
Best: Size, length, strength, power, run blocking, scheme diversity
Worst: Foot speed, pass protection
Projection: A starting guard with scheme diversity.
Game Tape
(Jenkins is RT No. 73)
Full Report
Oklahoma State redshirt senior Teven Jenkins is a big, powerful, mauling offensive line prospect. Jenkins typically aligned at the right tackle position in Oklahoma State’s offensive line, though he has also played left tackle and guard over the course of his 44 games.
Jenkins is an excellent run blocking lineman, playing with excellent leverage and technique to maximize his natural power. Jenkins is a natural knee bender as a run blocker, playing with consistently good hip and pad level, sitting into his stance and rarely lunging. He also plays with a wide base, giving himself a good foundation for accurate strikes, gaining defenders’ chest plates. Once engaged, Jenkins does a good job of controlling defenders and creating movement at the line of scrimmage. He has enough short-area quickness and lateral agility to execute both man-gap and zone blocking schemes.
His ability as a run blocker aids his blocking on play-action passes, as he attacks the defense the same for those passes as if he was blocking for a run. That can make it exceptionally difficult for defenders to quickly diagnose the play, and the passes that much more effective.
Jenkins’ power also shows up in his pass protection, as he is easily able to anchor against bullrushes without giving ground.
Jenkins has great competitive toughness in all areas of his game. He plays with a nasty streak and a brawler’s mentality. Jenkins looks for contact and seems to relish in ending plays with the defender on the ground. He plays with great hustle through the echo of the whistle, at times sprinting downfield looking for someone to block on breakaway runs.
But as well as Jenkins moves as a run blocker, he struggles as a pass protector — particularly against speed rushers. Jenkins footwork becomes choppy and sloppy when faced with speed off the edge, which only gets worse when he is asked to expand the pocket or protect for a deep pass that isn’t off of play-action. Jenkins’ footwork can compromise his balance, leading to him to wind up on the ground or forcing him to use his hand to compensate. That can lead to his strikes being wild and landing outside defenders’ frameworks or him not using his punch at all as he compensates for compromised balance.
Overall Grade: 7.5 - This prospect has starting upside with scheme diversity, but will likely need a position change to maximize his upside.
Projection
Oklahoma State offensive lineman Teven Jenkins projects best as a starting guard with scheme diversity.
Jenkins has spent most of his time at Oklahoma State as a tackle, but he has played guard in the past, so the position wouldn’t be completely foreign to him. His strength, run blocking, and short-area movement skills would all be emphasized on the interior, as would his football IQ in dealing with stunts and twists. Jenkins has the upside to be a good blocker in both man-gap and zone blocking schemes, broadening the number of teams who could be interested in him. Playing inside would also limit the amount of area for which he would be responsible in the NFL, as well as his exposure to athletic speed rushers. That would help minimize his deficiencies and put him in position to play to his strengths.
Jenkins would definitely be a tall interior lineman, but his ability to play with good knee bend and pad level would mitigate any leverage issues on the interior.
There’s a lot to like with Jenkins’ game, and it’s easy to see coaches falling in love with his run blocking and competitive demeanor. His success at the NFL level will likely be a matter of putting him in the right position.