The New Orleans Saints made a splash this week by claiming ex-New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins on waivers, bringing a big boost to their secondary. Jenkins is by far the most-experienced player in that group, though his gambling style of play brings as many highs (his four interceptions are more than all other Saints cornerbacks combined) as lows (his six penalties trail only Eli Apple, who has been flagged eight times).
Jenkins practiced for the first time with his new team on Wednesday, which is significant beyond the first photo he’s shared while wearing black and gold (he’s taken Ken Crawley’s old No. 20 jersey, which free safety Marcus Williams apparently opted not to switch back to after wearing it in college when given the chance). His Instagram post from the Saints locker room is embedded below.
What’s important here is that Jenkins was not listed on the Saints injury report for Wednesday’s walkthrough practice session, which means the ankle injury that ended his year with the Giants is behind him. New York would have designated him to the injured reserve had he cleared waivers; instead, the Saints picked him up, and he was evidently healthy enough to participate in practice. We’ll know more as daily updates to the injury report are released, but it sure seems as if he’s on track to compete for a starting job.
