Naquan Jones NFL Draft Overview
Position: Defensive tackle
Height: 6-foot-3 ⅜”
Weight: 313 pounds
Arms: 33”
Hands: 9 ⅞”
School: Michigan State
Pro Day Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.44
Vertical: 25”
Bench press: 20 reps
Broad: 100”
Short shuttle: 4.80
Naquan Jones 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Jones played his high school football for Illinois’ Evanston Township High School where he earned himself a four-star recruitment rating before committing to Michigan State in 2016. Jones would redshirt his true freshman season before making his debut in 2017. As a redshirt freshman, Jones appeared in all 13 games and played nearly 250 snaps accounting for 13 total tackles, two tackles for a loss as well as one pass deflection.
As a 2018 redshirt sophomore, Jones again appeared in all 13 games and had his best statistical season as a collegiate player while playing 295 snaps. Jones tallied 26 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble. As a 2019 redshirt junior, Jones played in all 13 games for the Spartans on 257 snaps and accounted for 15 total tackles, one tackle for a loss along with one sack.
Last season as a redshirt senior, Jones put together a solid season in which he played in all seven games of his shortened season and logged a career-high 314 snaps. Jones racked up 24 total tackles, five tackles for a loss, one pass deflection, and one fumble recovery.
Strengths
- NFL sized frame which is filled out with good weight;
- Good strength within the interior;
- Surprisingly nice lateral mobility for his size;
- Powerful player when shedding blocks and bull-rushing the quarterback;
- Has the natural strength and athleticism to two-gap;
- Powerful puncher with a lot of upper body strength.
Weaknesses
- Failed to reach his potential at Michigan State as a highly rated prospect;
- Inconsistent play has been a theme over the course of his college career;
- Sloppy fundamental technique with block shedding, leverage, and hand usage;
- Not athletic enough to have a strong impact within the NFL pass rush game;
- Questions about his work ethic and whether or not he will be able to reach his potential at the next level.
NFL Comparison: Byron Cowart
Teams With Need at Position: Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys
Projection: Seventh Round
Bottom Line on Naquan Jones
Jones arrived at Michigan State as a highly rated prospect who was supposed to significantly bolster the Spartans’ defensive line. However, after five years at the collegiate level, Jones has failed to put all of his skills together. While having NFL caliber size, upper body strength, and enough wiggle to intrigue some teams, his lack of polished fundamentals and overall inconsistency are red flags.
Simply put, Jones looks to have been coasting on his natural gifts and athleticism for much of his college career. Furthermore, up to this point, he has failed to pair those natural skills with practiced technique and disciplined consistent play. Jones is a late-round or undrafted free agent whose teams will likely be interested in taking a flyer on due to his natural strength and size. While Jones’ ceiling is reasonably high for a player with his draft stock, him reaching that ceiling feels unlikely. Jones has had five years to develop within the college game and yet he still has not decided to take the next step to elevate his game.
Main photo:
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