Brandon Jenkins: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Florida State OLB

Brandon Jenkins played with an explosive style on defense for the Florida State Seminoles. He now hopes to get an opportunity in the NFL to showcase his pass-rushing skills.

Jenkins is a solid option due to the fact that he could potentially rush as both a defensive end and linebacker. As a sophomore with the Seminoles, Jenkins was outstanding and considered one of the best pass-rushers in the nation.

He caught a bad break as a true senior this past season, facing a season-ending injury early on. Despite coming off of a tough injury, he still could be a solid pass-rusher in the NFL. 

Background

Full Name: Brandon Jenkins

Birthday: February 9

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

High School: Florida State University School (Florida High)

Major: Sociology

Year: Senior

Jenkins got to play for the team that he grew up rooting for in Tallahassee. He was one of the top defensive ends in the state of Florida coming out of high school and chose Florida State over Miami, South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee and Southern Miss.

Statistics

2009: 12 games, 12 tackles and three tackles for loss

2010: 14 games, 63 tackles (42 solo), 13.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections

2011: 13 games, 41 tackles, eight sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection

2012*: 1 game, 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection

Jenkins' best season came as a sophomore when he was a first-team All-ACC selection. That season, he finished No. 3 in the country in sacks and No. 4 in the country in tackles for loss.

*In 2012, Jenkins entered the season as a preseason All-American and All-ACC candidate. His season was quickly cut short, however, suffering a foot injury in the first game of the year.

Draft Process

Measurables

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 251 lbs

Arm Length: 33.25"

Hand Size: 9.25"

Combine Results

Bench Press: 18 reps

Pro Day Results

40-yard dash: 5.07 seconds

Short shuttle drill: 4.48 seconds

3-cone drill: 7.40 seconds

Strength Lifts: 19

Jenkins did not put up very impressive numbers in his limited workouts. He is coming off of a Lisfranc injury in his left foot which may still be lingering.

On the field, he has explosive ability and uses his length at 6'3" to get to the quarterback.

Combine results per NFL.com; Florida State pro day results per CBS Sports.

Interesting Facts

Jenkins actually had the option to return to school and redshirt this past season due to the injury he suffered during the first game as a senior in 2012.

He was one of the best pass-rushers in the entire country as a true sophomore. At the team's annual football banquet that year, Jenkins was named Most Valuable Player.

Though he missed nearly all of the 2012 season, Jenkins stands at No. 8 in school history in career sacks and tackles for loss.

Observations

This Seminole DE/OLB is projected to be either taken in Round 7 of the draft or picked up as a free agent, according to CBS Sports, and is listed as the No. 21 defensive end.

Jenkins has good speed and quickness as a pass-rusher and uses his size to his advantage. NFL.com says that he could be used as a 4-3 defensive end or a 3-4 linebacker.

Back in late February, The Baltimore Sun listed Jenkins as a potential Round 2 or 3 draft pick. Many teams, like the Baltimore Ravens, are interested in using him as a linebacker.