KJ #90

Kris Jenkins Jr.

Defensive Tackle · Michigan

A second-round pick following in his father's footsteps as a disruptive interior defensive tackle for Cincinnati.

Kris Jenkins Jr. is a defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals and the son of former NFL defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Sr., who spent a decade in the league with the Panthers and Jets. The younger Jenkins captained Michigan to a national championship before Cincinnati drafted him to help replace the interior push lost when D.J. Reader left.

★ Second-team All-American (2023, Michigan)

★ Second-team All-Big Ten (2023)

★ National champion (2023, Michigan)

★ Second-round pick, 2024 NFL Draft

Path to the league

Jenkins played four seasons at Michigan (2020-2023), developing from a rotational piece into a team captain by his senior year. He helped lead the Wolverines to a national championship in 2023, finishing that season with 37 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception, and the Bengals selected him in the second round, 49th overall, of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

As a senior at Michigan, Jenkins earned Second-team All-American honors from both the FWAA and AFCA along with Second-team All-Big Ten recognition. His father's own second-round pedigree with Carolina in 2001 made Jenkins a notable name in draft coverage even before he put up numbers of his own. As a rookie in 2024, he played in 15 games with nine starts and posted 31 tackles and three sacks.

2025 season recap

Jenkins improved his pressure numbers in year two, generating 18 quarterback pressures compared to 11 as a rookie, and finished with 36 tackles and 1.5 sacks across 14 games with four starts. An ankle injury suffered in Week 15 against Baltimore ended his season early, landing him on injured reserve on December 19, 2025.