Between now and preseason, we’ll be breaking down the Jets’ undrafted rookies. As we speak, we break down former South Carolina and Georgia Tech extensive receiver EJ Jenkins intimately. Jenkins is listed as a decent finish with the Jets.

The 24-year previous Jenkins is listed at 6’6” and 245 kilos and racked up 17 catches for 316 yards and three touchdowns with Georgia Tech final season. Previous to that, he had performed for the Gamecocks in 2021, catching eight passes, and was a second-team all-NEC choice with St Francis (Pa.) on the FCS degree.

Background

Jenkins was a three-star recruit popping out of highschool however ended up with the St Francis Pink Flash on the FCS degree and redshirted his first season in 2017, then had simply 5 catches for 52 yards and a landing in 9 video games in 2018.

He broke out within the 2019 season, showcasing his huge play talents as he averaged 20 yards per catch and scored 13 touchdowns. He ended up with 779 yards on 39 catches and was a second-team all-NEC choice.

The Pink Flash’s 2020 season was in the end cancelled as a result of pandemic, so Jenkins entered the switch portal and enrolled at South Carolina. He didn’t see a lot motion in 2021 however flashed a couple of occasions with 117 yards and a landing on eight catches.

In 2022, Jenkins transferred once more, this time becoming a member of Georgia Tech. He once more confirmed some playmaking talents on his 17 catches, as he averaged 18.6 yards per catch and caught a team-high three landing receptions.

On the finish of the season, Jenkins wasn’t invited to the scouting mix however participated on the Hula Bowl and turned heads at his professional day exercise.

Whereas some specialists thought he had an opportunity to be drafted within the late rounds regardless of a deep tight finish class, he finally needed to accept an undrafted free agent take care of the Jets. The contract consists of $100K in assured wage and a $10K signing bonus.

Now let’s check out what Jenkins brings to the desk, divided into classes.

Measurables/Athleticism

Jenkins bulked up on the finish of the season, including 22 kilos to his lengthy body. He has a wonderful catch radius and was a dimension mismatch all through his school profession however wanted to bulk up so he can face larger defenders, particularly if he’s shifting to tight finish.

At his professional day, he impressed by working a 4.62 within the 40-yard sprint and posting a 32-inch vertical and 122-inch broad bounce. His agility and energy numbers had been beneath common although.

Utilization

As famous, Jenkins performed extensive receiver in school however is changing to tight finish on the NFL degree. He didn’t even actually have any performs the place he motioned to the sting of the road in school and none of his groups ran many bunch formations the place he’d be near the sting of the road. He did play within the slot, however not fairly often.

Nonetheless, he did follow as a decent finish at each St Francis and South Carolina. Forward of his first season, he had labored as a second-team tight finish all spring earlier than reverting to extensive receiver. He additionally attended conferences with the remainder of the tight finish room.

On the Hula Bowl, Jenkins did play 14 snaps as a standard tight finish and we’ll be sharing a few of these reps within the blocking part beneath.

Downfield risk

As famous earlier, Jenkins’ yards per catch averages had been usually excessive and he did present a capability to make catches down the sphere at St Francis and Georgia Tech. These aren’t simply again shoulder throws and bounce balls both, as he’s proven a capability to get behind the protection.

With some weight added and a transfer to the tight finish place, Jenkins ought to definitely be capable to stretch the sphere by getting down the seam and could possibly be somebody you isolate and throw it as much as in the appropriate matchup.

Routes

As an outsized receiver, Jenkins can look predictably cumbersome as he enters an exits his breaks. Nonetheless, when mixed together with his dimension and catch radius, this might typically nonetheless be ok to get him sufficient separation.

Whereas he’s efficient on crossers and hitches, Jenkins has been more practical when he can use his dimension reasonably than his velocity to separate. On this play he fights for out of doors leverage down the sphere after which retains the defensive participant on his again hip.

Transferring to tight finish will imply he not must run a full route tree anyway and his expertise at receiver may serve him properly.

In school, he was known as for offensive go interference on an unsuccessful goal as soon as.

Palms

As famous, Jenkins has an enormous catch radius and he makes use of it properly to go as much as get excessive passes. He has additionally made a few spectacular one-handed catches throughout his school profession.

Regardless of these talents, Jenkins had a low catch price on the FBS degree (44 p.c) and dropped one in each 10 targets.

Pink zone

Jenkins solely had 4 touchdowns over the previous two seasons and whereas two of them had been contained in the purple zone, they had been outdoors the 10-yard line.

His skill-set does lend itself in direction of being a possible purple zone goal although, as he proved in his 13-touchdown season in 2019. Many of those noticed him make the most of a matchup near the purpose line.

Yards after the catch

Jenkins isn’t notably elusive within the open subject however his dimension implies that he can run over smaller defenders or via arm tackles in area.

He battles arduous for robust yardage and is able to dragging defenders with him or falling ahead for a couple of additional yards on the finish of a play.

None of his 25 catches at SC or Georgia Tech had been caught behind the road of scrimmage and he had no fumbles.

Run blocking

Typically when a participant makes the transfer from extensive receiver to tight finish, it’s with blocking that they wrestle most. Jenkins has acknowledged that he’ll want so as to add energy as a result of he’ll be blocking larger guys, however did present some promise as a run blocker together with his effort and effectivity with the Yellow Jackets.

As talked about earlier, he performed tight finish within the Hula Bowl, the place he had a few encouraging blocks. On this play, he drove his man again off the road and sealed him off.

On this one, Jenkins operated properly on a double-team block to set the sting, angling his man off to seal him to the within.

Clearly he could have some work to do. On this instance, he initially allowed his man to get some penetration which had an influence on one other linemen’s efforts to get out and make his block, then misplaced leverage as he tried to regain floor.

Jenkins had two holding penalties in the course of the previous two seasons.

Move blocking

Jenkins has actually no stay recreation expertise of go blocking, so this is among the most important areas that he’ll have to develop and be taught. The closest he got here to a go safety rep was in the course of the Hula Bowl the place he briefly slowed up his man earlier than leaking out right into a go sample.

He has had some success as a blocker on receiver screens however did have one offensive go interference penalty for blocking too early.

Particular groups

Jenkins does have some restricted particular groups expertise and might be anticipated to do that with the Jets if he’s going to get onto the lively roster.

He’s primarily seen motion as a blocker on the kicking unit and in punt safety, however not as typically on the kick return models. He hasn’t recorded any tackles overlaying kicks and has solely rushed kicks sporadically.

Instincts

Working towards at two positions little question helped Jenkins develop some versatility however his scheme familiarity was broken by the very fact his workforce saved altering. Regardless of this, he didn’t make plenty of psychological errors in his profession and had no pre-snap penalties up to now two seasons.

When Lawrence Cager was changing from extensive receiver to tight finish final season, he stated that the hardest adjustment was in respect of the psychological side and that there’s a lot extra you want to concentrate on when it comes to the intricacies of each play. Jenkins will little question face an equivalent problem.

He was on the SEC fall educational honor roll in 2021.

Perspective

Jenkins introduced some good expertise and management to the Yellow Jackets in 2022, having been praised up to now for his arduous working strategy and for pushing teammates to observe movie and hit the weights room.

He’s stated he appears like he’s higher than individuals have given him credit score for and might be coming into the league with a chip on his shoulder having gone undrafted.

Accidents

Jenkins didn’t have any main accidents in his school profession however was coping with an undisclosed harm in the course of the spring with South Carolina in 2021. He finally returned in a non-contact jersey with the coaches merely confirming he had been “dinged-up”.

Scheme match

The place change for Jenkins might be an attention-grabbing problem however he has potential to be a very good goal within the passing recreation whereas additionally holding his personal as a blocker. At his present dimension, he’s most likely going to be extra of a “transfer” tight finish than an inline blocker.

Just like Cager, he could possibly be a participant who works his method into the rotation in three tight finish units and as an enormous possibility out of the slot.

Conclusions

The Jets have a deep group at tight finish with CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin taking over just about the entire reps if wholesome and up to date draft picks Jeremy Ruckert and Zack Kuntz anticipated to compete for a task.

The comparability with Kuntz is an attention-grabbing one as a result of the prevailing assumption is that Jenkins doesn’t have a lot of an opportunity of creating the workforce as a result of the seventh-rounder most likely gained’t be uncovered to waivers even when he’s merely stashed on the 53-man roster and generally inactive. Nonetheless, Jenkins may simply as simply have been drafted and Kuntz undrafted so can we rule out Jenkins establishing himself because the extra promising developmental prospect?

Kuntz is clearly a implausible athlete however Jenkins performed in opposition to a better degree of competitors over the previous few years and appears to have an edge when it comes to his physicality and playmaking capacity. Whereas Jenkins’ statistical manufacturing is much less spectacular, that may be largely attributed to some poor quarterback play. They’ll each want to enhance their blocking and to show they will make particular groups contributions.

It might be a shock but when Jenkins can have a very good camp and preseason, him beating out Kuntz (and even Ruckert) for that fourth tight finish spot maybe can’t be dominated out at this stage. In both case, he looks like a very good wager to be retained on the follow squad however would most likely want a number of accidents to get an actual probability to contribute in 2023.