Anfernee Jennings wasn’t surprised when the New England Patriots selected him the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jennings, an edge rusher from Alabama, said he received some inside info from Patriots assistant coach Vinnie Sunseri last month during a conversation they had before the NFL Scouting Combine.
Sunseri previously worked as a graduate assistant with the Crimson Tide before joining Bill Belichick’s staff earlier this offseason.
“Vinnie was kind of one of the older guys,” Jennings said Saturday during his introductory conference call. “He was the analyst for a couple years here and someone I could really reach out to and have conversations with. He got to the job to New England earlier this year and he told me, actually right before we started the combine and stuff like that, that I was going to be a Patriot.
“With that being said, I just went about the process, and now I’m here and I’m a Patriot. So it’s kind of funny, and I look forward to it.”
Of course, there was no guarantee Jennings would wind up on the Patriots, but they zeroed in on him late in the third round Friday, drafting him higher (87th overall) than many pre-draft projections had predicted.
Jennings, Alabama’s leader in both sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (12 1/2) last season, said he received a welcome text from Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower after hearing his name called.
“After I was drafted, he reached out to me and we texted for a little bit and got on the same page,” Jennings said. “I’m ready to get to it and follow the ropes and just work hard.”
