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Chris Jones: Prospect Breakdown (with GIFs)

By Nick Hjeltness

Sep 6, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Chris Jones (96) attempts to tackle UAB Blazers quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe (16) during the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Chris Jones (96) attempts to tackle UAB Blazers quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe (16) during the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pros, Cons, and a Summary of Chris Jones

Feb 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Pros:

  • Great size at 6’6″, 310 lbs.
  • Very good athlete, explosive first step and also is agile
  • Powerful in both upper and lower body
  • 34 1/2″ arms and uses them effectively
  • Able to consistently disengage from blocks
  • Strong at the point of attack and anchors well
  • Fantastic against the run
  • Productive pass rusher
  • Uses a variety of moves to win
  • Impressive balance, light on his feet
  • Position versatility; can play inside and out

Cons:

  • Inconsistent effort, some motor concerns
  • Plays with a high pad level, can lose leverage as a result
  • Instincts/awareness is a question mark
  • Rarely disrupts passing lanes
  • Needs to improve snap anticipation; his get-off can be late
  • Arrested for speeding, driving without a license in March

Summary:

Chris Jones is a fantastic prospect, who I enjoyed watching much more than I anticipated.

He has tremendous ability and impressive athleticism to go with it. That’s a dangerous combination, and he should be given strong consideration with Oakland’s 14th pick.

Starting with his athleticism; his Combine numbers are above-average in most areas, and it shows on film. This is true particularly with his first-step, which is explosive. Jones will be a force shooting gaps and should draw his fair share of holding penalties, just as he did at Mississippi State.

He has very good agility overall, and he is well-balanced and light on his feet, especially for a big man. He danced around cut blocks with impressive fluidity.

Also, Jones showed some ability to get around the edge, both with quickness and with some bend/flexibility.

This is all the more impressive when you consider that he’s 6’6″, 310 lbs.

I think Jones is also more refined than given credit for. Most of what I’ve seen so far describes Jones as “very raw” or “terribly unrefined” and I just don’t think that’s true.

Jones displayed consistent technique, utilizing his lengthy arms to great effectiveness, and using his hands violently and actively to keep lineman from engaging, or to disengage when he needed to.

When Jones anchors, he’s very difficult to move. He has a powerful upper and lower body, so this allows him to hold strong at the point of attack, which is critical in run support. Since he can disengage so efficiently, all of this combined makes him an excellent run defender.

As mentioned earlier, he has pass rushing ability too. PFF actually graded him as the 3rd best pass rushing interior lineman in the College Football. On top of the athleticism and technique, Jones uses a variety of moves to beat offensive lineman.

Lastly, he has plenty of position versatility. Mississippi State used Jones inside, outside, and even standing up from time to time. He can plug and play anywhere across the defensive line.

As far as where Jones needs to improve, he doesn’t have any significant flaws. The biggest concern for me is an inconsistency with his effort. He seemed to take a handful of plays off, and he has a tendency to be lazy in plays where he’s in pursuit behind the play.

From a technique standpoint, the biggest concern I have is his pad level. At 6’6″, he can naturally be at a disadvantage here, so it’s important for him to play low. At the snap, Jones will tend to shoot straight up out of his stance, instead of out/straight-forward. So lineman can get into his chest, and it’s difficult to overcome if you lose that battle.

Jones’ awareness of where the ball is seemed to be suspect. There were a handful of times where Jones was working on his matchup, and the ball carrier ran right on by and Jones didn’t seem to notice or react to it.

Jones rarely plays the passing lanes, so you would like to see him get his hands up in the air to deflect passes more often. And sometimes his snap anticipation could be a bit slow.

Lastly, Jones committed a stupid mistake in March, as he was arrested for speeding and driving without a license. Those types of bad decisions, especially a month before the draft, reflect poorly.

With all that being said, I’d be a big fan of picking Jones at #14. More specifically, I’d rank only Zeke and Hargreaves ahead of him, and that’s it. So yes, even ahead of Rankins.

He seemed to be just as good as of a pass rusher as Rankins, he’s a better run defender, and his size/athleticism combo gives him tremendous upside.

I can’t help but to see some Muhammad Wilkerson in his game, who the Raiders have of course been linked to for some time now. If Zeke and Hargreaves are gone, I’d take Jones at 14 with no hesitation and make the front seven completely dominant.

This wraps up the series of potential first-round options for Oakland.

Next up: Karl Joseph.

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