Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. shouldn't apologize for dominating the offensive linemen across from him. However, despite his stellar performance that included a sack in the Bengals' 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 1 of the NFL preseason, it's not all rosy as far as Jenkins' standing with the team.
Jenkins seems to talk a big game on the field and sure likes to celebrate when he makes a big play.
Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy@budlight | #ForTheCelly pic.twitter.com/6n17zBSh7A
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 14, 2026
I say that's great in almost every context. When I'm less cool with it is when you're a third-year second-round pick going against second- and third-string opponents. You should be beating those blockers silly, my guy.
Based on his draft status, the pedigree of his dad being an NFL star, and hailing from a blue-blood program in the Jim Harbaugh era Michigan Wolverines, Jenkins should be a high-end starter by now. Instead, he's hanging by a thread on the roster bubble.
I've said for literal months that Jenkins is liable to be cut, or at the very least, traded to another team. The question is whether the Bengals are too prideful to rip that figurative Band-Aid off.
Jenkins' solid preseason opener is a double-edged sword
Kris Jenkins Jr. may get a little more runway in the Queen City by virtue of how bad his 2024 draft class looks right now. Other than Amarius Mims at right tackle and an oft-injured Erick All Jr. hopefully breaking out, that whole group looks pretty bad to date.
Among the several disappointments from that class, Jenkins might be the worst offender. He was supposed to fill a dire need and has done next to nothing to do so.
Regarding the preseason opener, how is a fan meant to view it? How is Jenkins supposed to take it?
On one hand, it's great to see Jenkins flash some upside en route to five total tackles, albeit against inferior competition. But then again, his PFF grade was a middling 62.4.
Most players would be thrilled to get 32 snaps in any sort of NFL game. For Jenkins, it felt like an extended audition (Ceyair Wright pun intended) for other teams. And what could a potential trade suitor even draw from his performance? It's graded on a curve — and not a favorable one.
Will the Bengals keep Landon Robinson over Jenkins on the final 53-man roster?
For any consistent Stripe Hype readers, I'll sound like a broken record with this next bit. For the uninitiated, to me, it's clear that Kris Jenkins Jr. isn't big or strong enough to be a nose tackle, nor a dynamic enough athlete to be a 3-technique who can truly impact a game.
Rookie seventh-rounder Landon Robinson has way more juice and upside as a pass rusher.
Because Robinson has a niche he can fill and Jenkins is sort of a 'tweener defensive tackle, it's a no-brainer as to who should be the last man standing in Cincinnati's suddenly-deep interior d-line rotation.
Robinson also acquitted himself well in his NFL preseason debut. I would argue the Navy product's flashes of brilliance were more than I've seen out of Jenkins in a Bengals uniform to date.
To answer the prompt in this section's headline, no, I don't believe Jenkins deserves to make the final 53-man roster. But will he? I believe the Bengals find a way to make it happen, much to my chagrin.
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