JACKSONVILLE – Rayshawn Jenkins likes a lot about the Jaguars' new defense.
The reasons are many, and the veteran safety said the defense will be complex in a player-friendly way. Mostly, he said playing in it will be fun. A lot of fun.
"I will say this is absolutely the craziest defense I've played in – in a good way; in a really good way," Jenkins said. "We're going to present a lot of looks for people. You won't ever know what we're in."
Jenkins on defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, "He gets players from different positions to make plays on the ball. He puts people at the point of attack a lot. Hats off to coach. I love what he's doing."
Jenkins, who signed with the Jaguars in March 2021 as an unrestricted free agent from the Los Angeles Chargers, recently joined senior writer John Oehser for this edition of the O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including his approach to the 2022 offseason.
"I'm in grind mode right now," he said.
Whereas he was a high-profile story last offseason, Jenkins has been less-discussed among fans and observers. And he said he's OK with that.
"Whatever I have to bring to the table this year, I'm looking to show that," he said. "It completely feels 180 degrees different this year. I just want to show what I bring to the table and show why they brought me here last year."
Jenkins started 14 games last season, missing the last three games with a serious ankle injury. He participated in 2022 Organized Team Activities in individual drills and said he is cutting on the ankle well. He has not been participating in 11- on-11 or 7-on-7 work.
"It feels really good," he said. "I actually snapped my bone. I had to get a plate and six screws. Mentally, I'm good, though. This isn't my first time going through something like this. I had back surgery in college and was out 20 months."
Jenkins added with a laugh, "With this one, I was only out five months. To me, that's a blessing. I literally feel like nothing happened to my leg at all. And thank God for that. It can be a good thing or a bad depending on how you approach it and I'm approaching it very optimistically."
Listen to the entire O-Zone Podcast with Jenkins below. To view more O-Zone Podcast interviews, click HERE.
