Packers film review: Elgton Jenkins played at elite level against Rams

Packers G Elgton Jenkins was a dominant force for the offensive line during the team’s win over the Rams in the divisional round.

The Green Bay Packers amassed 484 yards of offense in their divisional-round win over the Los Angeles Rams. However, none of it would have been possible without the outstanding play of the offensive line. Green Bay rushed for 188 yards and averaged over 5.0 yards per carry. Aaron Rodgers was not sacked a single time and was hit only once. It was a clean performance from the Packers’ front, as they opened rushing lanes and held Aaron Donald in check through the entirety of the game. On Saturday, Donald appeared to meet his match, and it was none other than Green Bay’s Elgton Jenkins.

You’re probably thinking, “Wait, Donald wasn’t even at 100 percent.” And while that may be true, Donald is still arguably better than 90 percent of the players at his position even when he’s not at full strength. This is the same player that some consider the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history. Whether you agree with that or not, Donald is a generational talent and the Packers limited him to just one tackle in a pivotal playoff game. A lot of that credit goes to their left guard.

Fanbases outside of Green Bay probably don’t know much about Jenkins. He’s in his second season and was just named to his first Pro Bowl. Casuals will think that he got that award because of the system he is in, but there’s no disputing that Jenkins is a great player. This is the same guy that has played four different positions at a high level in 2020. This season, Jenkins has been the embodiment of versatility.

If it wasn’t obvious, we’re taking a look at Jenkins’ play against the Rams for the latest film review. The 2019 second-round pick is on his way to not only being a perennial Pro-Bowler but a future All-Pro as well. Let’s dig in.

To kick things off, we’re looking at Jenkins taking on a power rush. Michael Brockers is a solid player for Los Angeles’ front seven, totaling 28 sacks for his career. On this play, Brockers is lined up right over Jenkins. He attacks Jenkins’ inside shoulder, but Jenkins uses good hand placement to gain control. Brockers’ plan is to use a club move to disengage from Jenkins, but it doesn’t work. Here we see Jenkins stalemates Brockers, and he hardly even reacts to the club.

You might remember this play because Donald was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty after grabbing hold of Jenkins’ facemask. But before the penalty, Jenkins dominated the rep against Donald.

Here it is from another view. Donald wants to bull rush and starts off with good hand placement high on Jenkins’ chest plates. This allows him to start pushing Jenkins into Rodgers. However, Jenkins counters by swiping away Donald’s left hand and undercutting with his right hand so he can regain leverage. This sends Donald completely off balance and practically falling on his face. Overall, good technique and recovery by Jenkins.

Jenkins has been a factor in the run game all season, and here is a great example. Jenkins has good functional play strength as a run blocker, and he uses it here to bully the 0-tech. Perhaps, if Aaron Jones ran through the B gap behind Jenkins, he would have scored.

It appears that Jenkins is very good at warding off power rushes. He consistently uses good hand technique to punch, gain leverage, and pull rushers in close. Notice how he also finishes the play. This is the mindset you want from interior linemen.

As an NFL offensive lineman, you better be ready to face stunts and twists. The Rams chose to run two different stunts on this defensive call. Luckily, Jenkins is mentally capable of noticing these tendencies, and he processes them in time to react accordingly. Here we see Jenkins pick up the defensive end, who is crashing inside. Jenkins has already established a great base and balance so that he can absorb the contact when they become engaged.  Also, this is great pocket management by Rodgers to pick gain a first down on 2nd and 17.

Here is another look at Jenkins facing a stunt. He quickly diagnoses and gets himself in the right position.

Green Bay knew they were getting a good athlete when they drafted Jenkins with their second-round pick. He moves very well for his size, and that is what stands out when he’s transitioning between blocks. Jenkins appears very comfortable climbing to the second level in these two examples.

We’ve only had two years to study Jenkins, but it looks like general manager Brian Gutekunst made a great pick when he added Jenkins to the offensive line. While Jenkins can still see some improvement against speed rushers, his technique against power moves is efficient against the NFL’s best defensive linemen. He’s also well-equipped to be an impactful run blocker.

Jenkins’ versatility affords the Packers a player they can plug in at multiple spots without worrying about a huge drop-off. That is something that cannot be taken lightly, and it raises Jenkins’ value exponentially. He is a player that will be not only a Pro-Bowl candidate year in and year out, but eventually an All-Pro.

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