NY Giants: 5 Linebackers to consider in the 2020 Draft

2. Anfernee Jennings-University of Alabama

If the NY Giants are unable or unwilling to select Isaiah Simmons with the fourth overall pick in the draft and want to address the linebacker position fairly early in the draft, Anfernee Jennings makes a solid fallback option for New York.

Jennings does not project as nearly as good of a pass defender as Simmons, but then again few linebackers do. That said, he represents a thick, muscular linebacker at 6’3″ and 265-pounds, but lacks the elite athleticism that Simmons possesses.

Jennings is an extremely physical linebacker who is an excellent run defender. He is great in pursuit of the ball carrier and has a large tackling radius due to his size. However, due to his massive size, he has a limited range of motion that can make him susceptible to getting beat by quicker tight ends.

In addition to being an excellent run stopper, Jennings excels as a pass rusher. Some experts see him as a potential defensive end/linebacker hybrid in the NFL, but most project him as a pass-rushing outside linebacker.

Jennings is difficult to block when pass-rushing, due to strong active hands and an explosive first step off the snap. He represents a linebacker with a lot of experience in college, who has solid pass-rushing moves and a high football IQ. Last season with the Crimson Tide, Jennings amassed 67 total tackles, seven and a half sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, one interception, four pass deflections, and one forced fumble.

If the NY Giants are unable to resign Markus Golden this offseason, Jennings represents a potential replacement as a pass-rushing linebacker. They should be able to target him between the second and fourth rounds of the draft.