After trading Pro Bowl right tackle Trent Brown, the Las Vegas Raiders have a hole on the right side of the offensive line. Luckily for them, the 2021 NFL Draft will offer a vast number of enticing options at the position. One player who would certainly look good in Silver and Black is Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins.
While Oklahoma State is hardly a factory of offensive linemen — they have not had one selected since 2010 — Jenkins proves that you should always scout the player and not the helmet. While operating in the Cowboys’ pass-happy offense he most often utilized a horizontal, 45-degree set. This allowed Jenkins the chance to use the best aspect of his game: his aggressiveness, a trait that both Tom Cable and Jon Gruden surely covet.
At 6’6″ and 320 pounds, Jenkins moves players effortlessly and relishes doing so. As such he is a great run blocker that is a necessary requirement of an offensive tackle in Tom Cable’s scheme. In addition to this aggressiveness, the Raiders will love his experience. As a fifth-year senior, Jenkins has ample playtime to step in and become a starter in week one.
Some worrisome deficiencies
By a large margin, the biggest thing holding Jenkins back is his athletic ability. He just really does not move well on the edge. This, including his overall range, is a massive question mark on his future at the position.
Here Joseph Ossai is lined up wide at 9 and beats Teven Jenkins with sheer athleticism to end the game. He has traits worth betting on in the first-round. pic.twitter.com/NcCxBMmaji
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) April 4, 2021
While it is always hard to project to a different position, it seems likely that he could become a very good guard at the next level. With his powerful hands and lower body, his athleticism would translate much better inside.
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Teven Jenkins’ is likely a Raiders’ front office favorite
It is very easy to see a patch where the Raiders brass falls in love with Teven Jenkins. They will covet his aggressiveness, experience, and positional versatility. In addition to this, Denzelle Good profiles as a player that could aid Jenkins in his transition to the NFL.
The only thing that could prevent the Raiders from selecting Jenkins is that the front office clearly has a “type” at the position. This “type” includes elite athletes for the position. This is evidenced in the selections of Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker, as well as the signing of Trent Brown. They want big, tall athletes for the position. Jenkins does not fit this athletic profile.
In any way, picking at 17 leaves the Raiders in a tough spot as much of the position group could be dried up at this point. Penei Sewell. Rashawn Slater, Christian Darrisaw, and even Jenkins himself could be gone by the time the Raiders pick. It seems as if the Oklahoma State product will check enough boxes to be a player that Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock will have high on their draft board.
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