With the nineteenth pick in the 2012 BGN Community Mock Draft, AnthroEagle selects...
Janoris Jenkins: CB, North Alabama
The Chicago Bears are in the fortunate position of having no really pressing needs in this draft. It's really too bad I can't draft a new grounds crew or stadium for the Bears, because that's where the clear room for improvement exists here. Still, the Bears could use an upgrade at their #2 WR spot, offensive line, defensive line and defensive back. With no elite options at any position, (excluding Fleener at TE, who would be a reach here) BPA is the best strategy here. In my opinion, that player is Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama.
The 5'10" 193lb Jenkins was widely regarded as one of the top DBs in last year's draft, projected to go as high as 11th overall before he elected to return to school. Unfortunately, character concerns popped up at this time, and Florida dismissed him from their program due to multiple arrests for marijuana and a bar fight (he has also fathered four children to three women, a la Antonio Cromartie). However, he has been open about his mistakes and passed every drug test at North Alabama, saying that drugs are in his past. His coach from N. Alabama, Terry Bowden, fully supports him, suggesting that Jenkins never had a drug problem and was simply making some questionable decisions with old friends. Bowden also said that Jenkins was a great teammate during his tenure at North Alabama (full disclosure - he did get ejected from a game for punching another player). Still, if Jenkins has put his behavior problems in the past, he will probably be the best CB to come out of this draft.
More after the jump...
Behavioral issues aside, Jenkins is an incredibly talented corner. He is probably the best cover corner in this draft, as he possesses excellent quickness and fantastic top end and closing speed. But perhaps his best quality is his instincts. He anticipates routes and takes successful risks regularly, displaying Asante Samuel-type awareness with the ball in the air. He managed to pick off eight passes in his time at Florida, and his aggressiveness off the line also allowed him to make two sacks as well. He is a willing and decent tackler, racking up 106 of them in his three Florida seasons. He is underrated in run support and is quite durable, missing only one game to injury in his career.
Perhaps the best testament to his ability is his performances against two NFL-caliber #1 WRs in Julio Jones and A.J. Green, shutting down both of them in multiple games. Beyond this, Jenkins is perfect fit for the Bears 46 defense. He excels in man coverage, and his ability to jam players off the line with his hands (rather than bigger players who rely more upon their size) makes him a very good all-around man CB. Cornerback is also a slight weakness for the Bears, with Charles "Peanut" Tillman, underperforming Tim Jennings, and D.J. Moore seeing the field with regularity last season. The additions of Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite provide depth, but the Bears would be getting a big upgrade at CB with Jenkins.
I considered a number of other players here. Offensive linemen Cordy Glenn and Jonathan Martin were getting looks, but I don't see either as worthy of this pick. Defensive line was another position I seriously considered, and I began writing a selection analysis for Whitney Mercilus before changing my mind, electing to go with Jenkins, who I perceive to be a much more talented player for the selection. Nick Perry, Dontari Poe, and Michael Brockers were all on the radar here, but again, none of them are solid enough to warrant the 19th pick. I briefly considered WRs Kendall Wright and Stephen Hill, TE Coby Fleener, and LB Don't'a Hightower, but all would be reaches here.
In Janoris Jenkins the Bears get a CB who has the potential to be one of the top ten CBs in the league within a couple of years. I think Pacman Jones is a perfect comparison here - incredibly talented, good ball skills, and a penchant for getting in trouble. If he gets over his off-the-field issues, and I believe he has, we're looking at one of the best CBs to come out of the college ranks in the last few years.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/573875-2011-nfl-draft-cam-newton-blaine-gabbert-and-the-latest-draft-buzz/entry/42178-2011-nfl-draft-florida-cornerback-janoris-jenkins-returns-to-gainesville
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-cole_janoris_jenkins_pot_children_corneback_draft_022612
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/gatorbytes/2012/02/26/terry-bowden-says-cb-janoris-jenkins-was-trouble-free-passed-drug-tests-at-north-alabama/
http://football.about.com/od/playerprofiles/p/adamjones.-Gw_.htm
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1620533/janoris-jenkins
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/stats/_/id/378601/janoris-jenkins
Next on the clock will be Udalango with the Tennessee Titans.
Previous Picks: #1 Andrew Luck, #2 Robert Griffin III, #3 Morris Claiborne, #4 Trent Richardson, #5 Matt Kalil, #6Justin Blackmon, #7 Melvin Ingram, #8 Ryan Tannehill, #9 Michael Floyd, #10 Dre Kirkpatrick, #11 David DeCastro, #12Courtney Upshaw, #13 Luke Kuechly, #14 Fletcher Cox, #15 Quinton Coples, #16 Mark Barron, #17 Stephon Gilmore, #18 Riley Reiff