Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will Safety Rayshawn Jenkins Meet Expectations?

Entering his eighth NFL season, Rayshawn Jenkins has been a full-time starter for five straight seasons. How does he fit Mike Macdonald's defensive scheme in Seattle?

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) runs back an intercepted early second-quarter pass intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15). The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida Sunday Night, December 17, 2023. The Jaguars trailed 10 to 0 at the half. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Expected to be one of the main pieces in Seattle’s revamped safety room, will Rayshawn Jenkins be a plus starter on the Seahawks defense?

Background

Rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports out of Admiral Farragut Academy in Saint Petersburg, Florida, Jenkins remained close to home with his commitment to Miami as part of the 2012 recruiting class. Jenkins started 33 games during his five-year career with the Hurricanes, piling up 201 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and nine interceptions. After being selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Jenkins saw limited playing time in his first two seasons — appearing in 30 games and compiling 36 tackles and one tackle for loss. He became a full-time starter with Los Angeles in 2019, playing in all 16 games and enjoying a breakout season with 54 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, four passes defensed and three interceptions. Jenkins had another successful season with the Chargers in 2020 before signing with the Jaguars in free agency. In 2022, Jenkins recorded a career-high 116 tackles with three tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, 12 passes defended and three forced fumbles. He has been a full-time starter when healthy in each of the past five seasons but was released by Jacksonville in March and signed with Seattle in free agency.

Scheme Fit

Jenkins fits the mold of a prototype strong safety with his 6-1, 220-pound build. However, he has bounced between the safety positions, playing predominantly free safety with the Chargers in 2019 and continuing in a hybrid role with the Jaguars from 2021–23. This versatility fits Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme perfectly, as the first-time head coach will be moving his defensive backs around in different formations and disguised coverages. Jenkins blitzed a career-high 46 times in 2023, per Pro Football Focus, and had seven tackles for loss and one sack. Expect similar usage of Jenkins in Macdonald’s scheme.

Best Case Scenario

With a blended skill set in run defense, coverage and rushing the passer, Jenkins is exactly the kind of starting safety Macdonald was looking for opposite Julian Love. Jenkins gets downhill often to make plays in the backfield while executing his coverage assignments well and he has a career year under one of the league’s top defensive minds. As a result, Jenkins earns a Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his career.

Worst Case Scenario

At 30 years old, Jenkins’ prime athletic years are behind him and that spotlights the holes in his game. Jenkins has been good but not great in most of his duties during his career and the lack of a specialty sees him decline across the board. He becomes a liability in coverage and, while remaining the starter, has to share snaps even in base defensive sets with K’Von Wallace, who Seattle also signed in free agency.

What to Expect in 2024

Jenkins was a good signing by Seattle. He fits the versatility Macdonald will employ and is only costing the Seahawks $12 million over two years (26th highest-paid safety in annual value, per Over the Cap). Statistically, Jenkins has only gotten better over his seven complete seasons in the NFL, at least from a volume standpoint. While he hasn’t consistently been a game-wrecker, Jenkins has shown the ability to take over from the safety spot. In a Week 15 game versus the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, Jenkins logged 18 tackles, two passes defensed and two interceptions — one of which he returned for a walk-off touchdown in overtime. He can be a weapon if used correctly.

That said, just flashing that ability won’t be enough to maintain a long-term starting role with the Seahawks. Jenkins’ main weakness has been not excelling in any single area. Macdonald may be able to work around that and only deploy Jenkins in advantageous situations, but football often doesn’t work that way. Quality offenses can still exploit his weaknesses. Realistically, Jenkins should be a serviceable starter for Seattle and maintain that role throughout the season, especially with his scheme fit.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Buddha Jones | Devin Richardson | TaMerik Williams | Rason Williams II | Ro Torrence | Nathan Pickering | Dee Williams | Devere Levelston | Kobe Lewis | Sunny Anderson | Mike Novitsky | Max Pircher | Easton Gibbs | Hayden Hatten | Garret Greenfield | Carlton Johnson | Matt Gotel |George Holani | Cody White | Ty Okada | Drake Thomas | McClendon Curtis | Easop Winston Jr. |Nelson Ceaser | Jonathan Sutherland | Lance Boykin | Joshua Onujiogu | Patrick O'Connell |Jack Westover | Raiqwon O'Neal | Tyler Mabry | Dareke Young | Tremayne Anchrum | DJ James | Artie Burns | Kenny McIntosh | Myles Adams | Dee Eskridge | Stone Forsythe | Tyrice Knight |Jerrick Reed II | Mike Morris | Coby Bryant | Jake Bobo | Jon Rhattigan | Nick Harris | Johnathan Hankins | Derick Hall | Laviska Shenault | PJ Walker | K'Von Wallace| Sam Howell |Sataoa Laumea | Pharaoh Brown | Michael Dickson | Tre Brown | A.J. Barner | Darrell Taylor | Mike Jackson | Zach Charbonnet