Bengals pick DT Kris Jenkins at No. 49 of NFL draft 2024. Our scouting report

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins with the 49th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Jenkins, 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, played three seasons with the Wolverines.

In selecting Jenkins with their second-round pick, the Bengals fill their biggest positional need. The Bengals went into Day 2 of the draft with a massive hole at defensive tackle. As soon as the second round started on Friday night, a run on defensive tackles occurred. Four of the first six picks were spent on defensive tackles.

Head coach Zac Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo both said they were staring at Jenkins' name on their draft board all night. As their pick got closer, Anarumo said he was "squinting for an hour" as he watched prospects go off the board.

"He's one we wanted," Taylor said.

Taylor said the hope was Jenkins would fall to them as he is a player they coveted and it fits a positional need. Jenkins fits the Bengals’ prototype in several ways as he not only comes from a college program that just won a national championship, Jenkins also was a team captain. He checks the leadership box the Bengals like in their players, so much so that when the now second-round pick visited Cincinnati on his top-30 visit, Taylor joked he didn’t have much to ask him because there were no questions about his character.

As for how he fits with Anarumo’s defensive scheme, Cincinnati’s sixth-year defensive coordinator said his ability to play the run is something that stands out above all else. Anarumo says he is a true three-down player in his defense.

“I just like everything about his game," Anarumo said. "He’s a tough, tough run defender. He’s got great football instincts. He brings leadership, he’s been a captain. Just a tough guy overall and just plays the game the right way.”

After a disappointing year on defense, the Bengals are hoping to rebound and play to the level they’ve shown they can play at under Anarumo’s leadership. By acquiring Jenkins, Cincinnati’s run defense took a step in the right direction.

“You just see a motor," Taylor said. "That’s what shows up. You’re going to get that consistent player on every down.”

Kris Jenkins scouting report

Jenkins was an anchor for the 2023 Michigan defense, which finished as the best unit in college football and helped lead the Wolverines to the national title. Jenkins is a space-eating mauler on the defensive line who uses his strength and speed as an amazing athlete to plug up runs and move passing pockets. He comes from NFL pedigree with an All-Pro defensive tackle father and was voted team captain for the national championship-winning team in 2023. On his demeanor, former coach Jim Harbaugh said Jenkins was “the poster person for enthusiasm unknown to mankind for the 2023 year."

-Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press

Kris Jenkins height, weight

Jenkins is listed at 6-foot-3 and 299 lbs. He's a native of Olney, Maryland and attended Our Lady Good Counsel (Md.) High School.

Kris Jenkins college stats

Across 37 games in college, Jenkins accounted for 112 total tackles, four sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Kris Jenkins highlights

Jenkins split time in a defensive tackle rotation along with Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but still stood out as a difference-maker for Michigan. Jenkins frequently faced double teams but still plugged run gaps and was able to provide a pass rush from the interior. He can cross the face of an offensive lineman to blow up runs and use his strength to move grown offensive linemen off their spots in both the run and pass. In his highlights, you will see him shrug off zone run blocks and beat guards and centers upfield with his speed and heavy hands.

Kris Jenkins pro day results

Jenkins had one of the best combine tests of any defensive tackle prospect since 1987, finishing with a 9.55 relative athletic score, or RAS. Jenkins ran a 4.91-second 40-yard dash with a 30-inch vertical jump and 9-foot, 7-inch broad jump after weighing at 299 pounds.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals pick DT Kris Jenkins in Round 2 of NFL draft. Expert analysis