Latest news with #ElgtonJenkins
Forbes
4 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
The Most Important Packers: No. 6 — Elgton Jenkins
Elgton Jenkins (74) will move from center to guard this season for the Green Bay Packers. Getty Images The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way. Overall, though, no one in the building was happy. The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building. 'We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,' Gutekunst said. 'I think it's time we started competing for championships.' Those are fair expectations. The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move. 'I think they're ready,' Gutekunst said. Now, it's time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right. Green Bay's first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the '30 Most Important Packers' heading into the 2025 campaign. At No. 6 is center Elgton Jenkins. No. 6 Elgton Jenkins, C Jenkins started 16 games at left guard and one at center in 2024. He allowed just one sack in 1,069 snaps, but did have 10 penalties. Pro Football Focus gave Jenkins an overall grade of 66.1, which ranked 45th out of 136 guards. Jenkins had a stellar pass blocking grade of 83.1, which ranked third among guards, and a subpar run blocking grade of 61.4 (71st). Jenkins was also named a first alternate for the Pro Bowl. And in a recent poll of league executives, coaches and scouts conducted by ESPN, Jenkins ranked No. 9 among all interior linemen. Career to date Jenkins has appeared in 87 games with 85 starts in his first six seasons. He's started games at four different positions on the line — 67 at left guard, eight at left tackle, six at right tackle and four at center. Jenkins was named to the Professional Football Writers Association All-Rookie team in 2019 after appearing in all 16 games with 14 starts at left guard. Jenkins became just the second Packers guard to earn such honors since 1974 (Daryn Colledge, 2006). Jenkins was selected to his first career Pro Bowl in 2020, becoming only the third offensive lineman in team history to be named to the Pro Bowl within his first two seasons in the NFL (Deral Teteak, 1952; Charley Brock, 1940). He started games at three different positions in 2020 — 12 at left guard, three at center and one at right tackle — becoming the first Green Bay offensive lineman to start a game at guard, center and tackle in the same season since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Jenkins tore his ACL midway through the 2021 season, then struggled early in 2022 when the Packers played him at right guard. Jenkins regained the form that made him a 2020 Pro Bowler when the Packers moved him back to his natural left guard spot later in the 2022 campaign. In Dec., 2022, the Packers rewarded Jenkins with a four-year, $68 million contract that included a $24 million signing bonus and $24 million guaranteed. Jenkins then had a stellar 2023 campaign when he didn't allow a sack and gave up just 12 pressures in 1,019 snaps (including playoffs). Outlook Jenkins hasn't been a full-time center since the 2018 season, his final year at Mississippi State. That's where he's headed in 2025, though. The Packers signed guard Aaron Banks in free agency and let Josh Myers — their starting center since 2021 — walk in free agency. Now, the plan is to move Jenkins from guard to center — which could make for a tricky summer. Jenkins skipped the Packers' voluntary OTA's, then reported to minicamp in June, but didn't practice. It remains unclear whether Jenkins will report for the start of training camp. Jenkins has two years left on the contract he signed in 2022. The average of that deal is $17 million, which would make him one of the NFL's highest paid centers. Traditionally, though, guards are paid more than centers, meaning the positional change could cost Jenkins in future earnings. Jenkins, who turns 30 on Dec. 26, is scheduled to earn $12.8 million this year and $20 million in 2026. The only guaranteed money Jenkins received when he signed his contract extension was a $24 million signing bonus. If the two sides reach a financial compromise, Jenkins has the potential to become an elite center and give Green Bay a top-5 offensive line. Jenkins has long arms (34 inches), is bright, and packs more punch than the average center. The key, though, is getting Jenkins to camp to become acclimated to his positional change as quickly as possible. They Said It … 'We had plenty of conversations with Elgton leading up to it and obviously he played center in college. We feel he's got a chance to be an All-Pro center.' — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on Jenkins moving to center 'You guys know Elgton, he's a unicorn, right? He has played a lot of ball. He's played every position on the line of scrimmage for us at some point — in a game. Elgton's done it in a game, Elgton's done it in practice, he is special in that regard in being able to cross-train and do all that stuff. Played in college at a high level. So for him to come in here and play center, I thought one of his better games last year was the game that he played center. So, there's no concern about that and he'll fit in just fine.' — Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus on Jenkins 'I expect him to be ready to go when we come back. He's a guy that I really respect, how he works. The product obviously that he's put out there from an individual standpoint has been pretty impressive. He's fought through some adversity, but he's going to be a big part of this thing.' — Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Jenkins THE TOP 30 • No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd • No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks • No. 28 — S Javon Bullard • No. 27 — WR Savion Williams • No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie • No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan • No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden • No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine • No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs • No. 21 — QB Malik Willis • N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness • No. 19 — RG Sean Rhyan • No. 18 — LT Rasheed Walker • No. 17 — DT Devonte Wyatt • No. 16 — S Evan Williams • No. 15 — CB Nate Hobbs • No. 14 — LB Quay Walker • No. 13 — OL Aaron Banks • No. 12 — CB Keisean Nixon • No. 11 — K Brandon McManus • No. 10 — TE Tucker Kraft • No. 9 — WR Jayden Reed • No. 8 — DT Kenny Clark • No. 7 — RT Zach Tom
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Stats suggest Elgton Jenkins in his prime: Is he right to want contract adjustment?
Stats suggest Elgton Jenkins in his prime: Is he right to want contract adjustment? Elgton Jenkins has been in the spotlight this offseason for various reasons. The Green Bay Packers' most senior offensive lineman is set to move from left guard to center in 2025, taking over for Josh Myers, who departed in free agency. Versatility has always been one of Jenkins' most valuable traits, and he is hoping to parlay the change in role into an updated contract; a situation which is yet to be resolved. But when he has been on the field, what has Jenkins brought to Green Bay? Here is what the stats say about his overall profile since returning from an ACL injury in 2022, mostly playing at left guard: Strengths According to advanced numbers, Jenkins has been one of the most consistently effective pass blockers in the NFL over the last three years. Among qualified guards, he ranks in the 80th percentile in PFF's pass block efficiency (EFF) metric. Even in true pass sets, which are plays without screens, short passes or play action, and are generally more taxing on offensive linemen, Jenkins has excelled, landing in the 70th percentile in EFF compared to his contemporaries. Jenkins ranks in the 75th percentile for sacks allowed per opportunity (SK/OPP), which removes plays involving spikes or penalties. He has allowed just one sack in the last two seasons. Keeping the quarterback clean is the most crucial part of an offensive lineman's job, but allowing them to feel comfortable is also vitally important, and Jenkins has been stingy when it comes to giving up even low quality pressures. He ranks in the 67th percentile in hurries per opportunity (HUR/OPP) since 2022, and allowed less than one hurry per game in 2024. Jenkins has simply been one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL when it comes to protecting the quarterback. Weaknesses At least according to the metrics available, Jenkins has no significant weaknesses to his game, which is a huge compliment to his overall ability and consistency. Of the 11 statistics used to build his profile, Jenkins only ranked below average in two of them (more on those later), and neither reached the point of being a legitimate weakness over the last three years as a whole. He is one of the more reliable offensive linemen around. Trending up Even as he approaches age 30, Jenkins has continued to develop his game in recent seasons, improving in a variety of areas, and much of this is likely related to him becoming further removed from the serious knee injury he suffered in 2021. In true pass sets, he went from the 25th percentile in SK/OPP in 2022 to the 86th percentile over the last two years. Jenkins also improved his ranking in HUR/OPP in true pass sets from the 48th percentile in 2023 to the 75th a season ago. He was a stronger pass blocker in 2024 than the previous year by almost every statistical measure. In fact, he was ranked as the best pass blocking guard in the NFL by PFF last season. The Packers incorporated more gap concepts into their run game in 2024, and Jenkins rose to the challenge. After ranking in the 45th percentile in PFF's gap run block grade in 2023, he improved to the 82nd percentile, helping to open holes for Josh Jacobs. Trending down The only two statistics in which Jenkins ranks below average over the last two years are the same ones he has seemingly regressed since 2022. Committing penalties is the weakest part of Jenkins' game, as he ranks in the 36th percentile in penalties per snap over the last three seasons. He graded out in the 58th percentile in 2022; above average, before dropping to the 39th percentile in 2023 and the 11th percentile in 2024. He was flagged ten times last year, which is the highest number since his rookie year and more than his total for 2023 and 2024 combined (nine). Penalties are relatively overrated as a means of evaluating the quality of a player, but they can be massively frustrating and have a real impact on the outcome of a game. Discipline might be something Jenkins needs to work on in 2025 and beyond. This may coincide with the change in emphasis in Green Bay's run game, but Jenkins has actually declined as a zone run blocker since 2022, at least according to PFF's grading. Jenkins ranked in the 82nd percentile in their zone block grade in 2022, which is excellent, but fell to the 40th percentile the following year, and the 10th percentile in 2024, ranking 70th of 78 qualified guards. It will be interesting to see how the transition to center impacts Jenkins' game, but Jenkins appears to be firmly in the prime of his career, and it is understandable he wants an amendment to the contract he signed back in 2022, whether the Packers are willing to oblige is another question.
Reuters
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Disgruntled Packers C Elgton Jenkins at camp, not practicing
June 9 - Packers center Elgton Jenkins plans to attend mandatory minicamp in Green Bay, although participation is an entirely different story, according to multiple reports Monday. Seeking an adjusted contract to reflect the current market for his new position, Jenkins has been distant from the team since the start of the offseason. He's moving from guard to center and while he said last season he's amenable to a move, he wants to be paid for his versatility after logging important snaps at tackle and guard in previous seasons. Jenkins has two years remaining on a four-year, $68 million contract signed in 2022, but none of it is guaranteed. NFL Network reported Monday it's unlikely Jenkins will practice without financial guarantees for injury in his contract. Packers offensive coordinator Andy Stenavich said after the draft Jenkins was on board with the position switch, but ESPN reported Jenkins wants the security of guarantees or a new deal to make the move. At an average annual salary of $17 million per year, Jenkins' current deal would make him the second-highest-paid center in the NFL -- tied with Cam Jurgens (Eagles) -- behind only Chiefs All-Pro Creed Humphrey ($18 million). Jenkins turns 30 in December and bumps inside to make room for free agent addition Aaron Banks to play left guard. The Packers also selected Anthony Belton (54th overall) and seventh-rounder John Williams in their 2025 draft class. Jenkins was a second-round pick in 2019 and played center in college. General manager Brian Gutekunst has shown little interest in extending contracts for players with more than one season left on an existing contract. "We feel he's got a chance to be an All-Pro center. We've talked about it a lot, how versatility plays into our offensive line, and having guys that can move to different spots," Gutekunst said. "And Elgton's one of those guys who can play all five spots, so he's a luxury. I'm excited to see what he can do at center, as well." --Field Level Media
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers OL Elgton Jenkins reporting to mandatory minicamp, unlikely to practice
Packers OL Elgton Jenkins reporting to mandatory minicamp, unlikely to practice Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins is reporting to mandatory minicamp this week but is not expected to practice, according to reporting from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Jenkins, who is transitioning to the center position for 2025, wants a reworked contract and has skipped the rest of the offseason workout program. Players who miss mandatory minicamp are subject to escalating fines across the three days. The Packers' minicamp runs from June 10-12. It can be assumed Jenkins is attending the minicamp to avoid the fines but will not participate to avoid risking a serious injury and jeopardizing the contract negotiations. The Packers signed Aaron Banks to a big deal and let Josh Myers walk in free agency, creating a position change for Jenkins, who has played every offensive line position at the NFL level. But with two years left on his deal, Jenkins is seeking financial assurances from the Packers before moving from guard to a less lucrative position at center. Jenkins has already forfeited a $500,000 bonus for attending the offseason workout program. His base salary is set to be $11.7 million in 2025 and $18.5 million in 2026, but both are non-guaranteed. Jenkins was the team's preferred starter at left guard last season. He received All-Pro votes at guard and has twice been a Pro Bowler while playing guard.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why Packers RT Zach Tom is practicing without a contract extension
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Zach Tom thinks he's the NFL's best right tackle when he's on top of his game. That belief may not be factually correct, but it's also not entirely far-fetched. Only Detroit's Penei Sewell and Philadelphia's Lane Johnson received more All-Pro votes at the position last season than Tom, who was voted to the second team by three of 50 media members. Advertisement Tom, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest who turned 26 in March, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He deserves, and will likely get, a hearty extension in Green Bay. He doesn't have one yet, though, but he's still been present at voluntary organized team activities this spring. Center Elgton Jenkins, on the other hand, has not been present. ESPN reported that the two-time Pro Bowler Jenkins, who is switching from left guard to center with the arrival of former 49ers left guard Aaron Banks in free agency, hasn't shown up to voluntary OTAs because he wants more financial security in his current deal to protect himself against a potential future loss of earnings that may accompany the switch to a less lucrative position. Jenkins is perfectly justified in his stance. This isn't to say Tom is right and Jenkins is wrong in their differing approaches amid contract situations, but head coach Matt LaFleur probably appreciates one more than the other, even if he understands both. 'That tells you how much it means to him,' LaFleur said of Tom after Tuesday's practice, adding that he wants every player present but understands this portion of the offseason is voluntary. 'But yeah, that means a lot. I know for me, it means a lot to me.' The Packers rewarded cornerback Jaire Alexander with a record-breaking contract extension in March 2022 even after he missed 13 games the season prior with a shoulder injury. Alexander then made the All-Pro Second Team the following season. The team is no stranger to backing up the Brinks truck for a worthwhile player coming off a significant injury and the decision immediately paying off (what happened later for Alexander is another discussion). General manager Brian Gutekunst knows how much Tom is worth based on the prior three years, but Tom might still be taking a risk by practicing without future financial security. And even if the dollar amount on an extension wouldn't change whether Tom got hurt, he's still sacrificing leverage to get a deal done by showing up to Lambeau Field in May and June. Advertisement Why is he doing it this way, when he'd be perfectly justified in staying away? 'I don't really think it'll do me any good to sit out,' Tom said Tuesday. 'I'm trying not to worry about the contract situation. I'm just trying to do what's best for the team. And being here with the guys, I think that's worth a lot more … the contract situation will take care of itself. So I'm just here working and grinding with the guys. If I wasn't here, I'd probably be somewhere just not doing anything. 'I want to be here, obviously.' When asked if he wanted an extension before the season starts so he doesn't have to think about it during the season, Tom said, 'I'm not going to get into that. I'll just let that take care of itself.' Tom is probably looking at a contract extension worth somewhere in the mid-to-high $20 millions annually. According to Over The Cap, Sewell makes $28 million per year and Johnson $25 million. Third among right tackles is the Chiefs' Jawaan Taylor at $20 million. Tom has yet to make a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but shutting down Cowboys edge Micah Parsons in the 2023 wild-card round and playing admirably last season at less than 100 percent after returning from a torn pec are just a couple of the reasons to show Tom the money. 'I think he can play any position,' LaFleur said of Tom, who played left tackle and center in college but has found a home at right tackle in Green Bay. 'I think his versatility is one of the things that makes him special. I think he can play all five and there's not a lot of guys that can do that, but I would say that he's got the athleticism. I think he's a very intelligent football player and he's played pretty consistent over the course of the last few years.' Tom didn't want to make excuses, but he said his technique might have suffered last season while playing with a damaged pectoral muscle. He anticipates playing this coming season at 100 percent health and is pushing more weight on his strengthened arm after missing all of OTAs last year. 'Once I came back, I mean, it wasn't perfect, but you're just playing football. You're trying to, at least,' said Tom, who was Pro Football Focus' sixth-best tackle, not just right tackle, in the NFL last season. 'I try not to think about injuries because everybody's going through something.' Advertisement So if Tom is that good without being fully healed from a significant injury, one of the NFL's best tackles and one spot short of an All-Pro nod, what's the next step with or without a new contract? 'I would just say consistency,' Tom said. 'Being a guy that can set the tone during games, being a guy that you can really rely on to block those edge rushers — those elite edge rushers — one-on-one, take them out of the game.' Tom said it's important for him to be recognized as one of the best in the game at his position, though he's not too worried about what those outside 1265 Lombardi Ave. think about his game. It's probably nice, however, when Texans star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. tells ESPN that Tom is the best offensive lineman he's faced. 'It's not like I set a goal to be the 10th-best tackle in the league,' Tom said. 'I just gotta hone in on my technique, being consistent in that, because I think when I'm at my best, I'm the best in the league.' Tom thinks it. Soon enough, he'll be paid like it, too.
