USC OL Jalen McKenzie has chance to keep building off 2021 momentum with new NFL team

When Jalen McKenzie signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans, the USC football starting o-lineman immediately gave his new team strong upside. McKenzie played his best college football in his last season with SC. He's peaking at the right time.

Even better, he played his best football as the season went on during his best season with the Trojans. According to Shotgun Spratling of uscfootball.com, McKenzie had his three highest-graded (PFF) games of his college career in his last three games of his college career.

McKenzie ended up losing the starting RT gig for the beginning of the season, but ended up getting it back by the end of the season. That's where he really shined at the end of the year.

Raising his game just before he makes the jump to the NFL is what gave him a chance when he signed, and it's what gives him a chance to move up the depth chart a bit.

USC Football OL Jalen McKenzie has the opportunity to pick up in the NFL right where he left off in college.

Jalen McKenzie didn't give up a single sack last season for USC football according to Spratling. Again, he improved significantly as he went through his final stages at this program. It's why he's a sneaky-good sleeper pickup as an undrafted free agent.

And sure, there are a few right tackles likely ahead of him on the depth chart right now (Dillon Radunz, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Derwin Gray), but McKenzie also has guard experience in college too. Considering how well he did at what's considered a more difficult position to play at tackle in his last year with the Trojans, he has big potential as a guard too.

This offseason, and training camp in particular, will be very important for McKenzie. He certainly has the opportunity to really soar this summer, however, with the strong trajectory he's currently on and some versatility to lean on as well.