2017 NFL Draft: Where is Jarron Jones?
Notre Dame sends a freakish defensive lineman to the 2017 NFL Draft, but where he’ll land is still a question.
Must Read: DeShone Kizer is a Project in the NFL
While some experts had Jarron Jones as a third-round NFL Draft pick back in January. Now, though, Jones is sitting as one of the most uncertain players in the draft. With no gained draft stock during his NFL Combine or Notre Dame Pro Day, Jones is hoping he hasn’t fallen too far out of teams’ draft boards.
Depending on the analyst, Jones could fall anywhere from the fourth to the seventh round. Although he likely fell below the fourth, Jones may still have a slight ray of hope that he’ll find himself in the first four rounds.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com, Chris Ransom of Draft Utopia, DraftSite.com’s D.J. Boyer, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, and Luke Easterling of The Draft Wire, all say Jones is a fifth-round pick to a number of different teams. WalterFootball.com writer, Charlie Campbell, predicts Jones to fall even further, landing with the New York Jets in the sixth round.
The consensus seems to be that Jones is falling to the last three rounds. As a player with high potential but a lot of character issues, NFL teams will be weary of drafting Jones as a risk, reward guy. Until he isn’t a gamble pick, most franchises are going to shy away from the Notre Dame product.
Must Read: Top 20 Notre Dame Players of the 2017 Season
Jones was a hot player for literally a game in 2017. After accumulating six tackles for loss against Miami, Jones was a hot name to a lot of NFL teams looking for defensive line help. But when he played 33 snaps in the next two games, people began to realize he may not be the dependable athlete teams need.
NFL Network draft analyst, Mike Mayock gave his opinion on Jones’ value on the “Jack Swarbrick Show.”
“He’ll be drafted,” Mayock said. “He’s probably going to be a five technique for one of those teams. He’s got a body that – he looks a little like Stephon Tuitt as far as body is concerned. He just doesn’t have the consistency yet of a Stephon Tuitt.”
The question is whether or not he’ll be drafted, but how far he’ll slide. After hurting his draft stock this offseason, he could be looking at a late-round selection. Either way, he’ll probably be happy to hear his name called in any round.
Jones will enter the draft as a must-prove player. No one is going to give him a shot to compete for a position. It will be something he needs to earn. His talent and physical traits give him a great shot to succeed in the next level, but it’ll come down to his drive.
Don’t expect Jones to be an early selection. If you’re sitting around waiting to hear him, Isaac Rochell and Cole Luke be draft you’re going to have to do it on Day 3.
Next: Notre Dame Mock Draft 2.0
Jones is a late-round pick. It doesn’t give him a strong NFL start, but it does get him in the league. At the end of the day, all any of these players are asking for is a shot. Something Jarron Jones will definitely get.