Not many players on the Baltimore Ravens' defense performed well in their Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was another defensive meltdown, one eerily similar to that of their Week 1 loss against the Buffalo Bills.
Veteran nose tackle John Jenkins was one player who played his part, though. Among players who played at least 20 defensive snaps, Jenkins ranked as the team’s best defender. He posted an 80.3 grade, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), making seven tackles and five stops in the process. In Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jenkins should step into a more substantial role.
Head Coach John Harbaugh was impressed by Jenkins' showing on Monday night and made it known he will see more reps in Kansas City.
“[Jenkins] played well against Detroit,” Harbaugh said. “His reps will go up for sure, and he’s practiced really well…We’re expecting a really good game from him.”
The Ravens will be without interior defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington on Sunday. Nose tackle Travis Jones and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy could also be out of action, as they are both listed as questionable. With all the injuries, it is clear that Baltimore will need Jenkins to continue to step up his game in the coming weeks.
Game status vs. Chiefs: pic.twitter.com/gVaPjS62cb
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 26, 2025
John Jenkins poised to see increased workload in Week 4
Jenkins is a 13-year veteran and has started 64 of his 153 games played. From 2023 to 2024, he started 34 straight games with the Las Vegas Raiders. While he has yet to start a game in Baltimore, he is capable of handling the workload if the situation calls for it this week.
The 36-year-old is coming off back-to-back strong weeks. Against the Cleveland Browns, he registered a 79.0 PFF grade, and he saw his snaps increase from 13 to 33 from Week 2 to Week 3. While the increase was largely due to Madubuike being out with a neck injury, Jenkins is adjusting well to Baltimore’s defense, and they seem to be comfortable with him starting in Week 4.
The Ravens will certainly be missing some pass rush success by putting Jenkins out on the field more, but he is a run defense specialist. His PFF grade through three weeks sits at an 80.0 (12th among defensive linemen), and his run defense grade is 77.3 (10th).
Regardless, the Ravens' defensive line will be in trouble against the Chiefs. They are being hit with a litany of injuries, and even when healthy, they have failed to provide consistent pressure. If Jenkins steps up, though, they will have a proven veteran’s shoulders to lean on.