New York Jets: 3 Potential shocking cuts in 2019
By Randy Gurzi
2. Jordan Jenkins, Linebacker
A third-round pick out of Georgia in 2016, Jordan Jenkins had his best season for the Jets in 2018. While he had a career-low 35 total tackles, Jenkins got after the quarterback often and had seven sacks.
The problem is, Jenkins was able to get some decent numbers but those don’t always tell the whole story. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he was one of the lower ranked edge defenders on the team. The analytical site gave him a grade of 52.4, which was 98th overall for his position.
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Heading into 2019, there’s a chance Jenkins could be fighting for his job. The Jets have Brandon Copeland, who was much better at defending the run and playing coverage than Jenkins, as well as rookie Jachai Polite. The Florida product was considered a top-20 target at one point but fell some during interviews at the Combine.
The Jets got a steal by landing him in the third round and he could end up pushing Jenkins for the starting spot opposite Copeland. If that were to happen, youngsters like Frankie Luvu and Terrell Basham could be much more affordable options to use off the bench.
For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.