Player
Anfernee Jennings
LB · Patriots
Jennings built a starting-caliber NFL career twice — first as a run-stopper after a lost 2021, then as a dual-threat edge. The 0→14 TFL climb from Year 1 to Year 3 is the steepest for any LB in his draft class.
0 TFL as a rookie, 14 TFL in year three — the steepest run-stuffing climb of any LB in the 2020 draft class.
TrendJennings by season (reg season)
| Season | Solo Tkl | TFL | Sacks | QBH | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 8 |
| 2022 | 14 | 1 | 1.5 | 4 | 13 |
| 2023 | 35 | 14 | 1.5 | 4 | 14 |
| 2024 | 36 | 7 | 2.5 | 9 | 16 |
| 2025 | 14 | 5 | 2.0 | 7 | 13 |
Jennings missed all of 2021 with a knee injury and returned as a rotational player in 2022. Then came the 2023 explosion: 35 solo tackles and 14 TFL — run-stopper output rarely seen from a pass-coverage LB.
His profile then shifted: 2024-2025 added a pass-rush dimension (4.5 sacks, 16 QBH combined) to what had been a pure run-defender résumé.
TFL per season
| Season | TFL |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 5 |
Why it matters. Jennings built a starting-caliber NFL career twice — first as a run-stopper after a lost 2021, then as a dual-threat edge. The 0→14 TFL climb from Year 1 to Year 3 is the steepest for any LB in his draft class.
14 TFL, 1.5 sacks in 2023 — highest TFL-to-sack ratio of any player with 14+ TFL that year.
Rare2023 players with 14+ TFL (sorted by TFL/sack ratio)
| Player | TFL | Sacks | TFL/Sack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennings | 14 | 1.5 | 9.3 |
| Q. Williams | 15 | 2.0 | 7.5 |
| JOK | 20 | 3.5 | 5.7 |
| Lavonte David | 17 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| E. Jones | 14 | 4.5 | 3.1 |
| T.J. Watt | 19 | 19.0 | 1.0 |
Among every defender with at least 14 TFL in 2023 (22 players), Jennings had the highest TFL-to-sack ratio at 9.3 — almost double the next closest (Quincy Williams at 7.5). Most high-TFL players are also generating sacks: T.J. Watt (19 TFL / 19 sacks), Khalil Mack (21 TFL / 17 sacks), Danielle Hunter (23 TFL / 16.5 sacks).
Jennings was a pure run-game wrecker — drawing offensive linemen into the backfield without ever finishing as the sack artist.
TFL vs Sacks (2023, players with 14+ TFL)
| Player | Count |
|---|---|
| TFL | 14 |
| TFL | 15 |
| TFL | 19 |
Why it matters. The TFL/sack skew reveals Jennings was deployed as a run-plugger specifically — the Patriots leaned into his physicality at the point of attack rather than asking him to chase QBs, a rare role specialization in the modern game.
His QB-hit rate jumped from 0.11 to 0.54 per solo tackle from 2023 to 2025 — tripling his pass-rush output with barely more tackles.
SplitQB hits per solo tackle by season (reg season)
| Season | Solo Tkl | QBH | QBH/Solo Tkl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 35 | 4 | 0.11 |
| 2024 | 36 | 9 | 0.25 |
| 2025 | 14 | 7 | 0.50 |
From 2023 to 2025, Jennings went from a run-stopper who rarely pressured the QB (4 QBH on 35 solo tackles) to a pass-rush specialist (7 QBH on just 14 solo tackles in 2025 regular season) — his solo tackle volume actually dropped while his QB pressure rate tripled.
This is a coaching-driven role shift: under the 2025 Patriots staff, Jennings plays in narrower down-and-distance packages where pass rushing is the assignment. He's averaging 0.54 QBH per solo tackle — among LBs with 10+ solo tackles and 5+ QBH in the 2025 regular season, that rate ranks near the top of the group.
Why it matters. The tripling of his QBH/tackle rate while his solo tackle volume fell reveals a deliberate role shift — from every-down run-stopper to pass-rush specialist deployed in specific packages.
5 seasons as a Patriot: 105 solo tackles, 27 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 25 QB hits — and a Super Bowl ring.
MilestoneEvery tackle, sack, and QB hit on Jennings' résumé has come in a Patriots uniform. His regular-season career line reads 105 solo tackles, 27 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 25 QB hits across five seasons — and in January 2026, he contributed to the Patriots' Super Bowl run, recording 3 solo tackles and 3 QB hits across four playoff games.
For a 3rd-round pick out of Alabama who missed his entire second season to a knee injury, finishing as a contributor on a Super Bowl team is the full arc of the story.
Why it matters. Single-franchise longevity plus playoff contribution tells you the Patriots see Jennings as a genuine scheme piece. A 3rd-round LB who plays 5 seasons for one team and reaches the Super Bowl is in the top tier of outcomes for his draft slot.
Blew out his knee in year two — then returned to record the highest TFL-to-sack ratio of any linebacker in the NFL in 2023.
AnomalyJennings post-injury trajectory
| Season | Solo Tkl | TFL | Sacks | QBH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (rookie) | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 |
| 2021 (IR) | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 (return) | 14 | 1 | 1.5 | 4 |
| 2023 (breakout) | 35 | 14 | 1.5 | 4 |
| 2024 | 36 | 7 | 2.5 | 9 |
| 2025 (reg) | 14 | 5 | 2.0 | 7 |
Third-round picks who miss their sophomore season to a knee injury don't usually become the league leader in TFL-to-sack ratio two years later. Jennings did.
The 14 TFL / 1.5 sack line in 2023 was the most skewed run-stopping season by any player with 14+ TFL that year — and it happened 18 months after a lost season on IR. By 2025 he had evolved again: a pass-rush contributor posting 7 QB hits in 13 regular-season games.
Why it matters. Most players who miss a season to a serious knee injury return to the same or lesser role. Jennings returned, broke through as a run-stopper, then added a pass-rush skill set — a two-phase development arc after injury that is genuinely uncommon.
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