Former Oklahoma State offensive lineman Teven Jenkins was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft Friday.
Three other former Cowboys – Running back Chuba Hubbard by the Carolina Panthers, wide receiver Tylan Wallace by the Baltimore Ravens and cornerback Rodarius Williams by the New York Giants – were chosen in later rounds.
The Bears traded up 13 spots to get Jenkins, partly because of his tough attitude as a player.
“My edge to me is about being able to finish anybody in the dirt,” Jenkins said. “I don’t care who you are lining up against me, I don’t care what you earn against me, I don’t care who you are, I’m going to attack you.”
That should fit the mold of the Bears, who have a reputation for tough players.
“Basically, I want to impose my will against another man and use that force against him until he gets worn out and tired,” he said. “And I don’t care how long it takes. I’m going to do that 24/7 and I’m going to do that all game.”
Jenkins’ goal is to protect the quarterback.
“That’s the No. 1 important thing to me,” Jenkins said. “I don’t even care about anything else. The No. 1 thing I’ve always learned is you keep your quarterback clean, you always keep him upright, no matter what you have to do: be dirty, hold, whatever you’ve got to do.
“If anybody hits my quarterback after the play, that’s my problem and not his, and that’s how I want to carry myself and that’s what I want to do and that’s the man I have to be.”
Jenkins is now the 172nd overall draft pick in OSU football history and the 28th overall pick under coach Mike Gundy.
The selection marks first time a Cowboy offensive lineman has been drafted since Russell Okung was chosen No. 6 overall in 2010 NFL Draft, and it is the highest selection for any Oklahoma State player since defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah was chosen with the No. 32 overall pick in 2016.
Jenkins, a native of Topeka, Kansas, started 35 times for the Cowboys during his career.
In 2020, Jenkins was a first team All-Big 12 selection by both the league’s head coaches and the Associated Press after playing both left and right tackle during the season. He was also chosen by the coaches as an honorable mention for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award.
During his career in Stillwater, Jenkins played both tackle and guard on the offensive line while also earning honorable mention all-conference honors in 2018 and 2019.
Hubbard was chosen by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round with the 126th overall pick, while Wallace was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round with the 131st overall pick and Williams was taken by the New York Giants in the sixth round with the 201st overall pick.
Hubbard, a native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, had an outstanding season in 2019 but was hampered by injuries last year.
In 2020, Hubbard ranked No. 2 in career all-purpose yards per game and No. 4 in career rushing yards per game among all active FBS players at the end of his final season. He wrapped up his OSU career with 3,459 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns on 585 carries, all of which ranked eighth in the OSU career record book. He also finished No. 2 in school history with 136.1 all-purpose yards per game, and fourth in yards per carry and rushing yards per game.
Hubbard was honored as a unanimous All-American, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Cornish Trophy winner, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award finalist, Doak Walker Award finalist, two-time All-Big 12 team member, Academic All-Big 12 first team member and Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member.
He also finished eighth in the voting for the 2019 Heisman Trophy after he finished the year as the FBS leader in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, 200-yard rushing games and all-purpose yards per game.
Wallace, from Fort Worth, Texas, became the 14th OSU football player to earn All-America honors in multiple seasons. With a career average of 78 receiving yards per game, Wallace ranked No. 1 among all active FBS players in 2020. His 14 career 100-yard receiving games also marked the most of any active player and were the fifth-most in OSU history.
A Shreveport, Louisiana native, Williams set the Oklahoma State career record with 48 consecutive starts – a mark which ranked as the longest streak among all active FBS defensive backs in his final season.
Williams broke up 31 passes in his career, marking the sixth-most in OSU history and the fourth-most among all active FBS players in his final season.
Oklahoma State had four more athletes join teams as undrafted free agents shortly after the draft concluded Saturday.
Calvin Bundage agreed to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers after battling back from a potentially career-ending back injury. Bundage is listed as a linebacker but mostly played as an edge rusher in his final season with OSU.
Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga is headed to Los Angeles after agreeing to sign with the Chargers.
Dillon Stoner agreed to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders after a OSU career that ended with 191 career receptions, which is sixth in school history.
Defensive tackle Cameron Murray is headed to Arizona after agreeing to terms with the Cardinals.