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School: South Florida
Position: CB
Class: 2008 Big Board
Year: Senior
Hometown: Bradenton, Florida
Date of Birth: 03/22/85
Height: 5102
Weight: 190
Bench Press: 18
Vertical Jump: 34"
40 T: 4.38
Projection: First Round
Ordering: 14

Pros: An adept cover corner with excellent speed and good size, Jenkins likes to be physical at the line of scrimmage and also flashes the speed to run step for step with best of them on the deep route.  His length allows him to battle for jump balls and he is very fluid.  Jenkins is instinctive, with a knack for knowing where the quarterback is going with the football and tracking routes.  While tackling my not be his favorite thing to do, Jenkins has proved capable in the open field and has the ability to break on the ball as well as any corner in the draft.  While he loves to bump and run, Jenkins is also capable of playing safety—he brings a good understanding of zone defenses.  The Florida product is well conditioned and durable, with over three years of starting experience.

 

Cons: The biggest knock on Jenkins is his lack of interceptions, as he had just four in the past two seasons. However, this was due in large part to the fact that opposing quarterbacks often steered away from throwing in his direction.  That being said, the talented Bulls defensive back lacked the ball skills to make the opposing quarterbacks pay when they did throw his way.  Teams also shouldn’t expect much from Jenkins in run support early on—he’s not physically strong near the line of scrimmage and needs to do a better job disengaging from blocks.  Character is an issue, as he was involved at a bar altercation during his time at South Florida which led to a disorderly conduct charge (misdemeanor).  Not the quickest of corners in short space, may limit his ability to cover the slot.

 

Overall: The experienced defensive back possesses the deceptiveness that sets up quarterbacks into forcing the ball into coverage.  Following his junior season, many favored his classmate and fellow corner, Trae Williams, who had better numbers (read more interceptions). However, if you watched the Bulls play, you know why no one threw Jenkins way, as he continuously beat his man to the spot.  He has the size, speed and fluid hips necessary to play in the NFL.  Jenkins can also contribute on special teams, both as a blocker and as a return man.

 

Our View: After quietly being one of the top defenders in the Big East during his first three seasons, Jenkins finally started getting respect this year and that should continue come draft day. Other than ideal ball skills, Jenkins has everything a team looks for in a number one cornerback.  He may not record many interceptions, but the fact remains, he possesses one of the rarest skills in football—he can lockdown in coverage.

 

 

Factoid: The Tampa Bay area has been home to Jenkins, who was born in Germany while his mom was stationed there as a computer operator in the U.S. Army.

Medical Examiner:  Sources have indicated that Jenkins has asthma, but the extent of the disorder is uncertain.  He also battled an ankle injury his freshman year but has not missed any action due to injury since then.

Highlights of Accomplishments:

  • 2007 First Team All-American
  • 2007 First Team All-Big East
  • 2005 Second Team All-Big East

High School:  Played safety and running back for Southeast High School in Bradenton, FL.  During his senior year, Jenkins recorded 42 tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble on defense, and 859 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense.   He was awarded with first team Class 3A All-State and District Player of the Year honors, and was also named to the SuperPrep All-America Team.

Quote of Note: "He can bait quarterbacks…act like he's off the receiver when he knows just how far he needs to be. He reminds me of Deion (Sanders) that way. You don't coach that, and he has tremendous athletic ability, the feet, the hips, but it's more about being smart and studying your opponents. He does that so well."

--South Florida Defensive Coordinator Wally Burnham on Mike Jenkins