Rodney McLeod on Pace to Surpass Malcolm Jenkins
By Tom Aresco
At age 25, entering his 5th season as a pro, Rodney McLeod could soon be the Philadelphia Eagles‘ best safety since Brian Dawkins.
Safety is a position that became a luxury in Philadelphia under Andy Reid. With franchise leader Brian Dawkins in the defensive backfield, the Eagles were always in a position of power. Once Dawkins departed following the 2008 season, however, the team struggled to replace the 12-year mainstay.
Enter Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins joined the Eagles under head coach Chip Kelly’s regime in 2014, and he recently agreed to a 5-year extension that would keep him in Philadelphia well into his 30s. The former New Orleans Saint quickly emerged as the defensive leader and vocal presence in the secondary. His career year in 2015 forced many to add him into their discussions for best safety in the NFL.
With Jenkins all locked up, the Eagles searched for a dance partner that could complete the safety tandem after letting last year’s starter walk.
Eagles
They landed on former St. Louis Ram Rodney McLeod to pair up with Jenkins.
McLeod is a hard hitter with great range and versatility, a lot like his new counterpart. They’ve had different career paths, but both players started to blossom at safety from year two to year four. In fact, McLeod may be on pace to top Jenkins, believe it or not.
Both McLeod and Jenkins came into the league with the odds stacked against them in one way or another. McLeod was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Jenkins was a cornerback, selected in round one of the 2009 draft by the Saints, who was eventually deemed a misfit at the position. Awkward rookie seasons were followed by receiving the nod as their team’s starting safety in year two.
Jenkins’ first three seasons as the starting safety for the Saints were very successful:
235 total tackles (182 solo)
2 sacks
2 forced fumbles
3 fumble recoveries
3 interceptions
28 passes defended
Now take a look at the number McLeod posted, which are eerily similar, if not even better:
233 total tackles (184 solo)
0 sacks
8 forced fumbles
5 fumble recoveries
5 interceptions
18 passes defended
It is worth noting that McLeod started all 16 games each season after being named the starting safety, and that Jenkins missed five games due to injury. That shouldn’t be looked at to determine what Jenkins’ stats “could have been”, but more as a testament to McLeod’s ability to stay healthy despite his physical style of play.
Will McLeod actually end up being better than Jenkins? His numbers suggest that he could reach an elite level, but nothing is for certain. McLeod is in a great position to excel in Philadelphia, and maybe even surpass Jenkins sooner than many think. Jenkins will be McLeod’s mentor for now, which McLeod claims aided his decision to sign with the Eagles. Now that is something Jenkins didn’t have when he was McLeod’s age!