2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Patrick Jones

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Patrick Jones, 6-4/261 Defensive End Pittsburgh

Patrick Jones Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Potent pass rusher in 2020

Quick off the ball

Speed to get upfield

Burst to close

Keeps eyes on the quarterback

Has quality length

Active hands

Run-and-chase run defender

Dangerous in pursuit

Weaknesses:

Inconsistent motor

Needs to get stronger

Linear, lean frame

Needs to get stronger, tougher at defending downhill runs

Needs more pass-rushing moves

Summary: In recent years, Pittsburgh has produced some quality NFL defensive line talent, and that tradition was clearly going to be maintained thanks to Jones and Rashad Weaver terrorizing quarterbacks on a weekly basis during the 2020 season. In 2019 while Weaver was out with an injury, Jones broke out to total 8.5 sacks, 42 tackles and four forced fumbles. JOnes was even better and more consistent with his pass pressure as a senior, recording nine sacks, 44 tackles and three passes defended. He followed up his quality season with a competitive week at the Senior Bowl.

Jones has quick burst off the ball and uses his speed to get upfield on offensive tackles. When he gets free of blocks or is able to run around them, he shows a real burst to close and eats up space in a hurry. Jones does a nice job of keeping his eyes on the quarterback and has enough length and active hands to slap away blockers. In pursuit, Jones is a dangerous defender.

As a pass rusher, Jones needs to develop more moves to take on pro offensive tackles. He is too conventional with speed or bull rushes. He will need to improve his diversity with spin moves, inside rushes, and rip moves. Jones has to get stronger to get off blocks, and he also needs to show a more consistent motor.

Jones’ lack of strength and inconsistent effort show up as a run defender. He has to get stronger for holding his ground and handling runs coming downhill at him. It would help him to add power so he can maintain more gap integrity as a run defender. Jones has a long, linear frame that could give him issues with holding up as a base end in a 4-3 defense.

Jones’ best fit in the NFL could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker. That would provide him with a five-technique defensive end who can help occupy offensive tackles. Jones would need serious developmental time to become a three-down starting base end in a 4-3 defense. If he stays in a 4-3, Jones would be best as a backup end who is a rotational pass rusher. Jones could go as high as the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he probably won’t fall lower than the fourth round.



Player Comparison: Stephen Weatherly. Jones’ speed and size remind me of Weatherly. Weatherly (6-5, 260) is a solid rotational pass rusher who can put some pressure on the quarterback, but has some limitations that keep him from being a three-down starter. I could see Jones being a similar style pro.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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