Kris Jenkins is a dominant force on the field. He sometimes has trouble staying on the field, though. He has failed to play in more than six games four times in his career. He has suffered three torn ACL's, one in the right knee and two in the left knee. The ones in the left knee ended both his 2009 and 2010 campaigns.
The ACL issues might not be as much of a chronic concern as seems to be the popular opinion. They have been caused by freak accidents the past two years where his leg bent the wrong way. The success rate for recovering from these injuries is fairly high. There is the task, however, of recovering strength in a knee that has suffered two major injuries in the past two years.
The knee is not the only issue, though. It is difficult to keep a big guy in great shape. In his terrific 2008 season, it was noticeable how Jenkins was banged up and less productive near the end of the year. He plays a very physically demanding position. The Jets can limit his snaps to keep him fresher as their defensive line looks pretty deep on paper. The question is whether a part time player can justify a $4.6 million cap hit.