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The Dallas Cowboys continued their offseason haul on Tuesday when they signed a former first-round pick, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins. Taken No. 30 overall in 2012 by the San Francisco 49ers, Jenkins has yet to live up to first-round expectations coming out of the University of Illinois.
In his rookie year, he didn’t catch a single pass. In 2013, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs after hauling in just 17 passes for 223 yards in two seasons. To put those numbers into perspective, Dez Bryant caught 16 passes for 192 yards over a two-game span in 2014.
Nonetheless, he still has the potential to succeed based on physical ability. He’s a speedy receiver with 4.39-speed and return ability, something the Cowboys have searched for after losing Dwayne Harris to the New York Giants.
With all that said, Jenkins still won’t make the Cowboys’ roster despite being a former top 30 pick. Although Dallas is certainly looking for a No. 5 receiver and a return man, the Cowboys already have a laundry list of undrafted free agents looking to fill those roles. George Farmer, Antwan Goodley, Lucky Whitehead and Deontay Greenberry are all candidates to be return specialists and show potential as speedy wide receivers.
Common sense would make you ask, “Why not keep the first-round guy over the undrafted ones?” Well, because the NFL is all about right-now talent, not past ability. It’s a next-man-up league where you have to perform to make a living, and that’s not what Jenkins has done thus far.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to bring in a guy like this for OTAs, especially with Bryant still absent. Jenkins will be given a shot to make the team, but I have my doubts he’ll be a part of the 53-man roster. At the very least, it’s an exciting player to watch throughout OTAs and could provide a spark on special teams.
