By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: Jones spent the past three seasons as a steady defender for Connecticut, putting forth quality run defense and making some contributions in the pass rush. He had 46 tackles in his debut for the Huskies in 2018. As a junior, Jones notched 40 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He totaled 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2021. To cap his collegiate career, Jones had a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl.
In the ground game, Jones is a tough defender. He is very stout at the point of attack. When runs come downhill at him, he is able to anchor and hold his ground. He also shows the strength to shed and tackle. Jones will bull his way into the backfield to blow up runs and reset the line of scrimmage. His lateral anchor was very good for a college player, so he couldn’t be moved at the point of attack. Jones flashed the ability to take on double-team bump blocks and hold his ground when getting hit from the side, but he will need more work on this for the NFL. Jones’ stout body makes him hard to move out of his gap or keep him quiet in run defense. He is a very good run defender for the NFL.
As a pass rusher, Jones has some ability to get a push into the backfield with his power, but after gaining some ground upfield, Jones struggles to finish the play by getting to the quarterback. He is limited from both a speed and an athleticism perspective to be a dangerous pass rusher at the next level. As a pro, he probably will be rotated out of the game in the majority of sub-package plays. If Jones had more pass-rush ability, he would likely be a first-round prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jones can fit any NFL defense. He would be a great fit as a 3-4 nose tackle or a five-technique. In a 4-3, he could play nose tackle. Jones could end up a second- or third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Player Comparison: Ndamukong Suh. Jones reminds me of the older Buccaneers version of Suh, not the young one that played for the Lions and was capable off double digit sack seasons. Like the old Sub, Jones is a tough run defender that is physical at the point of attack and capable of getting some push as a pass rusher. If Jones pans out, he could be a nose tackle similar to the player that Suh has been in the past few years in Tampa Bay.
RELATED LINKS:
2022 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
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