2016 Dolphins preview: Jelani Jenkins
Jelani Jenkins is entering his 4th season with the Miami Dolphins and will be the starting weak-side linebacker in 2016. He’ll look to bounce back from a disappointing 2015 season.
Linebacker: Jelani Jenkins
Jelani Jenkins was drafted by the Dolphins in the 4th round (104 overall) in 2013 out of the University of Florida. In 2016, he is expected to be Miami’s starting weak-side linebacker under new head coach Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Jenkins regressed in 2015 from his impressive performance in 2014 primarily because of a late season ankle injury but is now fully healthy.
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2015 review
In 2015, Jenkins looked to build off his breakout year in 2014 in which he totaled 110 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 15 games. He was awarded the starting gig in 2014 after a number of injuries to other Dolphins linebackers and was not looking to give it back. However, things didn’t turn out the way Jenkins had hoped in 2015 as his numbers dipped to just 71 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and zero sacks. He has still not recorded an interception in his professional career. In fairness to Jenkins, he did battle with an ankle injury late in the season that kept him sidelined for three games.
Although the Dolphins were essentially out of the playoff hunt when Jenkins injured his ankle, he tried to push himself to continue playing.
"“It was definitely frustrating toward the end of the season having to come in, come out, limp off, limp back on and just doing the best I can,” Jenkins said. “It was frustrating and we would have liked to have had more wins, but I’d kill to be out there as much as I can even if I’m on one leg. That’s just football and that’s just what you have to go through.”"
Of course, there wasn’t much that went right for the Dolphins defense at all in 2015. Even with the addition of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins ranked an abysmal 25th in total defense. They ranked even worse against the run at 28th in the league, a big reason for the Dolphins disappointing 6-10 season. Suh played well in his first stint with Miami but the rest of the field, particularly the Dolphins linebackers, often looked lost last season and Jenkins is no exception. A lot of that though can be blamed on the coaching.
2015 stats
71 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 3 pass deflections
2016 Preview
Jenkins is now recovered from his ankle injury and as you may have heard, there’s a new coaching staff in town. Dolphins players grew frustrated last season with former coordinator Kevin Coyle’s signal calling on defense and inability to make necessary adjustments. Ironically, Coyle is back on the Bengals coaching staff in Joseph’s former role as defensive backs coach. Jenkins is anxious to get started under Joseph’s 4-3 scheme.
Now that he’s healthy, Jenkins believes he can help turn around the Dolphins defense. He’s already developed chemistry with some of his new teammates, most notably Miami’s new middle linebacker Kiko Alonso. The two have been hanging out with each other off the field, playing a lot of “Call of Duty.” While it just may seem like two guys playing video games, both players have expressed the importance of not just developing chemistry on the field but off of it as well. Dolphins players hanging out together outside of the teams’ facilities is not something we’re used to hearing the past few seasons and is a welcoming sign, particularly at the heart of the defense.
Jenkins is confident he will bounce back in 2016 and that we can expect to see a lot of the player we saw in 2014, maybe even better. He likes the way Gase and Joseph plan to use him in the game plan. The Dolphins plan to blitz more and be more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball, which is music to Jenkins’ ears. This will help utilize Jenkins’ skill set better and should help him to be the player Dolphins fans appreciated the previous season.
Professional Career
Miami Dolphins (2013-present) – 2013 NFL Draft / 4th round / Pick: 104 overall