Sai’vion Jones, a defensive end/edge rusher from LSU, comes from a big-time program. He faced a lot of great college athletes. Now, he is trying to take that experience to the NFL, where he hopes to not only get selected in the 2025 NFL Draft but also make an impact in the league for the long run. It’s possible that Jones could be a starter in the league after he develops and grows. Of course, it will depend on where he ends up.
2025 NFL Draft: Sai’vion Jones Scouting Report
Measurables
Height-6’5”
Weight-280
Arm Length-33 ½”
Hand Size-10 in
Vertical Jump-33”
Broad Jump-9’11”
Bench Press-19 Reps
40-Yard Dash Time: 4.74 seconds
Player Background
Jones is an interesting prospect who has a shot at getting drafted at some point in this year’s draft. He comes from Vacherie, Louisiana, and played his high school ball at Saint James High School. At Saint James, he was a multi-sport athlete who played basketball and track and field. He earned some accolades as a high school player and went on to play at LSU.
Jones’ college career was not as flashy as some, but it was somewhat consistent. He played in 51 games with 29 starts. He managed to get 99 total tackles with 38 of those solo. Jones sacked the quarterback eleven and a half times and had 17 tackles for a loss. Add three forced fumbles, five pass breakups, and five passes defended, and you have a guy who had a middle-of-the-road career.
Just how well he will do in the NFL will be determined by the team that picks him, the type of defense they run, and how well he develops.
Strengths
Perhaps the biggest thing that sticks out about Jones is that he’s a tough player and isn’t afraid to mix it up. He keeps after the play until it’s made. He has an explosion at the snap and has good length. Jones is strong and can keep up with blockers on the edge. He has some good mechanics with a set of pass-rushing moves that appear to work well. He can get around blockers to catch runners and drag them down.
Jones has heavy hands and a power punch to knock would-be blockers back when he makes first contact. He can change direction well for a guy who is 20 pounds shy of 300 and is surprisingly able to shift and alter his path to the ball carrier quickly. He can catch up to the play in a hurry and has decent straight-ahead speed. Finally, he sets the edge well and can adjust quickly to affect the play with the quarterback.
Weaknesses
Jones is not an all-star first-round player, but he has skill. Still, he has work to do to be a success in the NFL.
One thing that he needs to work on is refined pass-rushing skills. Jones should be able to learn and grow in this area when he lands in the NFL. He doesn’t work that well rushing on the inside. Jones’ tackling needs refinement as he has trouble getting runners lined up and then driving through them to make the tackle. While he is a good athlete, he has some issues with being too stiff and can play too upright, getting his pad level too high.
His use of his hands needs a little work. He will place them incorrectly or be just a little too slow, thus not being able to effectively execute a clean rush to the passer. Back to his tackling ability, he struggles to tackle in the open field sometimes and will miss tackles in space. He needs a great defensive line coach to coach some of the bad habits out of him and get him to play better at the next level.
Potential Team Fits
Any team that runs a 4-3 scheme might take some interest in Jones. He’s almost a true defensive end and not an edge rusher like Abdul Carter or Mykel Williams. He is somewhat reminiscent of the older styler larger defensive ends that used to play in the league. For example, a Richard Seymour type.
The teams he could fit best with include the Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers, and the Detroit Lions.
NFL Projection
Jones will likely get drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, but probably not until the middle rounds. Look for him to go somewhere in the fifth or sixth round to a team that will develop him as a future starter or situational pass rusher.
Main Image: Stephen Lew – USA Today Sports
