Bruce Feldman: Kris Jenkins’ evolution could have him ready to take ‘huge step forward’

When Kris Jenkins arrived at Michigan as a three-star recruit in 2020, he was 257 pounds. As he prepares for his junior season, he’s now 307 pounds — a credit to the Wolverines’ strength staff.

More recently, though, a video went viral of Jenkins doing a Turkish get-up. That exercise requires someone to lay down while holding a dumbbell over their head, stand up and lay back down without letting the weight down. Jenkins did it with a 170-pound dumbbell.

There’s only one word to describe that feat.

“It is insane,” The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman told On3’s Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “It is just insane.”

The hype around Jenkins continues to build, especially considering he came in at No. 6 on Feldman’s “Freaks List,” which came out this week. His reps in the weight room are eye-popping, too, and Feldman compared it to another former Michigan “Freak” who became a first-round NFL Draft pick.

“According to PFF, he led all defensive linemen in the country in run stops,” Feldman wrote of Jenkins. “But people inside the Michigan program think he’s now ready to take a huge step forward as an impact guy. He’s up to 307 pounds and is more powerful and explosive than ever. He did 32 reps of 225 on the bench and did 760 pounds on the combo twist. Only last year’s top Freak, Mazi Smith, some 30 pounds heavier, did more slinging around 800 pounds.”

Jenkins put up solid numbers a year ago for Michigan, totaling 54 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. But Jim Harbaugh and the staff see those numbers skyrocketing as Jenkins gets more involved in the pass rush. It’s adding to the NFL Draft hype around Jenkins, who knows what NFL success looks like. His father, Kris Jenkins, made four Pro Bowls during his career.

In fact, Harbaugh added fuel to the excitement around Jenkins — and the Michigan team as a result — in a conversation with Feldman at Big Ten Media Days.

“When I saw Harbaugh … he gave me this bold quote that he thinks they’re gonna break Georgia’s record for the most players drafted in a single draft,” Feldman told Staples. “He said he thinks there are going to be 20. And he said Kris Jenkins, watch him go as a top 10 pick. … I think a lot of guys were like yeah, he could be a top-100 pick or whatever. But I don’t think anybody’s realized just what this kid’s evolution is now. I mean, he was in the 250s and also by the way, another three-star guy who’s really blossomed there.

“Great genetics. Obviously his dad was also Kris Jenkins, who was a Pro Bowler in the NFL. But the numbers he puts up, the stuff he does. Now, he’s 307 pounds and [a] 34-inch vertical jump and shuttle times are, like, what you’d expect honestly from a running back. And he’s been really good against the run. But they think he’s really taken his game to the next level, from the coaches I talked to this past month, as a pass rusher.”

The post Bruce Feldman: Kris Jenkins’ evolution could have him ready to take ‘huge step forward’ appeared first on On3.