Sunday against Tampa Bay, Malcolm Jenkins will get the first start of his career. Drafted 14th overall in the first round of the 2009 draft, Jenkins will get an increased role due to injuries suffered by regular starters Jabari Greer (groin) and Tracy Porter (knee); neither of whom are expected to play this week. This is a perfect opportunity for the 9-0 Saints to showcase their promising young star against a 1-8 Tampa Bay team with a rookie quarterback in Josh Freeman. I could not pick a better game to see Jenkins thrown into steady action at cornerback. What we saw in both preseason and on special teams during the regular season is that Jenkins has a knack for finding the ball and making plays. With extended playing time in base packages it will be interesting to see how he manages. I don’t doubt for one second that he’ll be tested early and often, and I believe he will have successes and failures as the game progresses. Either way, the timing could not be better for us to see what Jenkins can do. To get this young man ready for the postseason and primed to contribute down the stretch, it is undeniable that he needs experiences like this. Could he get his first career interception this week? Go do your thing, Malcolm.
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