Senior Bowl: Four Day 2 prospects Raiders fans should keep an eye on

Anfernee Jennings, EDGE/LB, Alabama: South Team

The Alabama prospect is a very physical player. Coming in at 6-3, 260 lbs. some of his best traits involve  how well he uses his hands and his ability to set the edge. Most analyst view him as a defensive end in even set fronts, which bodes well in Paul Guenther’s base 4-3 defense.

Anfernee Jennings suffered a knee injury his red-shirt sophomore season right before the national championship game against Georgia. He was able to return in time for his red-shirt junior year and tally 51 tackles, 14 for loss, and 6.5 sacks while also adding 1 interception and 2 fumble recoveries. Many expected him to enter the draft after finishing with an impressive post surgery year, but he decided to stay for his red-shirt senior year and try to boost his draft stock even more.

One of the biggest knocks on him is he doesn’t have elite mobility and ability to change directions quickly. Viewed as a player with stiff hips, he relies more on power in his game to produce pressure on the edge and make plays against the run. He’s not projected to be someone who can be relied on in coverage, but the physicality that he plays with makes him a presence as a blitzing linebacker and and power rusher off the edge.

Before his injury, many analyst believed he had the potential to become a first round talent. Jennings would be a great addition to a Raiders pass rush that we saw take huge strides this year in getting to the quarterback, largely in part to the emergence of their 3rd round pick Maxx Crosby.

Having a stable of guys to rotate in and stay fresh on the edge will allow the Raiders to not only have success pressuring the quarterback but sustained success throughout any game. Also being able to pair him with Crosby or first round pick Clelin Ferrell on stunts and blitz packages would cause nightmares to apposing offenses.