One of the best defensive tackles in the SEC over the last few years, Chris Jones of Mississippi States, decided it’s enough after three years and is heading into the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens are more than willing to welcome him.
The Seahawks seem to be declining defensively, a little bit with each passing season, and need to make good picks in this draft on defense. The Ravens need to rebuild their defense after last season. The Bengals aren’t as desperate in that regard, but it never hurts to add someone who doesn’t just clog space, but is also quite a productive pass rusher.
Jones has played quite a lot in his three years for the Bulldogs, starting in all 12 games last season, finishing with 56 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss. He’s incredibly strong and rarely has problems moving blockers out of his way, and has no problem stopping runs while getting rid of those standing in his path. When plays become longer he tends to lose steam and still struggles with changes in direction, but overall, there’s a lot to like about Jones if you’re an NFL GM.
He’s probably going to be a late first round or second round pick. Yes, there’s work to do, but his size (6’6, 310 lbs), power and speed make him too good of a player to let fall down into the latter stages of the draft. He finished his college career with 8.5 sacks in 37 games, also adding 17.5 tackles for a loss and a total of 94 tackles.