Photo: Getty Images
- Troy Ballard
Want to talk about a gamble?
How about the St. Louis Rams spending a second-round pick on cornerback Janoris Jenkins?
What exactly is the gamble? Aside from the fact that Jenkins is an immensely talented athlete and has the potential to become the next big thing -- he has a rap sheet longer than the flight from Alabama to St. Louis.
The former University of Florida freshman All-American was kicked out of the school for failing a drug test, and he ended up with North Alabama instead. He has four children with three different women. He has two arrests for marijuana possession. He has one arrest for getting into a fight at a bar.
That's the gamble.
There is no doubt that if Jenkins can stay out of trouble, he has the talent to not only succeed in the NFL, but totally dominate. In a rigorous SEC conference as a true freshman, Jenkins was totally lock-down. At North Alabama, it was a joke how good he was.
Jenkins could very well be the best corner in this draft class, and without the baggage, he would have been a sure-fire first-round selection. St. Louis was lucky to be able to steal him away in the mid-second. But Jenkins' slide wasn't surprising considering that most NFL teams had written him off as too much trouble, but the Rams secondary needs help desperately.
But St. Louis is all too aware of Jenkins' off-field issues, and have made a point to keep tabs on him as he could be the future of the team's secondary. GM Les Snead is going as far as to check in with the troubled corner every single day to make sure he stays out of trouble.
Even with the courtesy phone calls, one slip-up from Jenkins and the pick will be wasted. Given his less than stellar past, the Rams certainly won't waste anytime setting a set of strict rules -- especially under new head coach Jeff Fischer.
Jenkins was forced to sign a zero tolerance policy at North Alabama, which essentially stated that if he had any infraction whatsoever, whether it be minor or major, he would be dismissed immediately. St. Louis will simply have to work complicated lingo into his contract that protects the team and Jenkins in the event that he does end up going back to his old ways.
The Boston Globe made an excellent comparison of Jenkins to New England Patriots tight end, Aaron Hernandez. While in college, Hernandez failed multiple drug tests, and that caused his stock to plummet. However, Bill Belichick saw potential, and picked him up as a total steal in the fourth-round. When he signed his contract with the Patriots, there is language that states if he fails a drug test, New England is protected.
As the article mentioned, the only issue with Hernandez since being drafted has been a few minor injuries. This of course may not be the case with Jenkins, as he has a substantially more complicated past. But it's a good model for St. Louis to hope and strive for.
The bottom line is this -- if Jenkins can stay straight and out of trouble, he could be the steal of the draft. If not, he will end up being another incredibly talented NFL player that couldn't get it together to succeed.
It's up to JJ at this point, but for all those Rams fans out there, I suggest crossing your fingers.