Cincinnati Bengals Film Review: How Rookie Kris Jenkins Has Improved This Preseason

The Bengals took Jenkins in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Mike Santagata | Aug 20, 2024

Aug 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. (90) breaks through a block from Chicago Bears guard Nate Davis (64) to sack quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Greene-The Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports

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Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals took Kris Jenkins in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft with the hopes that he could be an asset in run defense after losing DJ Reader in free agency. Jenkins was mostly a very good run defender in college with some issues against double teams.

Flash forward to preseason game 1 and there were some struggles against the run. So what happened?

All About The Base

A strong base is paramount to success in the NFL. Everything starts from the ground up and if the base is wrong, then it’s going to be very difficult to win against the best of the best. One of the only clips in training camp of Jenkins was noteworthy because it showed a clear issue he was dealing with. He was crossing over his feet when taking on a block.

An extra rep working get off for Kris Jenkins, getting some coaching and applying it. pic.twitter.com/DjBrPpGwd6
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) August 8, 2024

You can hear defensive line coach Marion Hobby instructing him about his footwork on this play. He says “no good, you’re crossing over” while showing him how his left foot went across his right foot.

Crossing your feet for some guys is the most natural way to take on these blocks but it takes away your power and strength almost entirely. Go try to push something with your feet crossed over and then again with your feet shoulder width apart.

His second rep of the clip is much better and it’s easy to see why. His base is clean.

He keeps his feet a little wider than shoulder width with some knee bend. This is the ideal base when taking on blocks as a defensive tackle. However, this whole exchange was noteworthy because it’s clearly something Jenkins has struggled with at times in camp. While he was great taking it on the second time, it seems that his natural footwork is to cross over which he’s trying to learn to stop.

Preseason Week 1

In the first preseason game, some were disappointed in Jenkins's performance because he did not do a great job stopping the run. Something that was noticeable for me was the crossing over of his feet when taking on blocks. While he's learning and training to stop this, it's a work in progress.

If you are watching his feet on this play you can see it's the same exact issue he was dealing with in training camp. His right foot cross over his left foot as he's trying to take on this block which leads to him getting thrown around and pancaked.

This position is not a winning business model for defensive tackles. Especially against double teams. It sapped his strength and made him easier to move. The biggest problem for him is that this was not a one off issue.

This is another rep of him getting demolished in the run game because he doesn't give himself a strong foundation. He crosses his feet and that allows the offensive lineman to drive him down the field.

Even plays where he's not getting caved in, he's still less effective than he could be because of this footwork issue. It's not a play strength issue, but an issue with his fundamentals. Now let's take a look at the one double team he survives in this games:

Keeps his base wide, never crosses his feet, eats the double, and allows his linebacker to come in clean to make the stop. That's the defensive tackle play that is extremely important but goes unnoticed throughout a game. It all starts because he plays with a good base.

Preseason Week 2

Jenkins did not get a ton of plays to show off his improvement in Chicago, but there was one play against the Bears that showed marked improvement from the rookie.

Jenkins dominates the center on this rep with good footwork.

Jenkins shows improvement with his base in pre season game 2

This is an ideal base from Jenkins and it allows him to win even though his hands are on the top of the shoulder pads rather than the sternum or armpit. With the quality foundation he built for himself, he is able to control the center and move him around to stop this run. He does not end up making the tackle but he's the reason the run failed. He holds up the back long enough for the linebacker to come in and make the tackle.

Jenkins's footwork is something to watch this season going forward. When he plays with a strong base, he is tough to move. The improvement in the second preseason game is exemplary but the progression is not a linear path and he may fall back onto his natural movement of crossing his feet again. It's also worth noting that his biggest issues with crossing his feet seemed to come against zone runs from Tampa Bay where he has to move a little more horizontally. The next test is to see if he can keep his base and win against zone blocking schemes where he has to move more.

There are times when crossing your feet actually is useful because of outside run plays as well. Reader would cross his feet to be more mobile and have further range against offensive linemen who were trying to cut him off.

That becomes more about positioning, leverage, hips, hands, and most importantly beating the offensive linemen to the spot than it does about keeping the base clean and shuffling down the line. However, for a majority of run plays, a good base will help a defensive tackle succeed in the NFL.

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