2013 NFL Draft Profile: Datone Jones (DE/DT – UCLA)

Chief Concerns: Desmond Bailey

Prospect Name: Datone Jones
School: UCLA
Pos: DE/DT
Year: Senior
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 280
Projected Round: Mid 2nd – Mid 4th

Overview

• 2nd Team All Pac-12  (2012)
• Owns 43 Career starts
• Led all UCLA DL with 62 tackles and 19 tackles for loss (2012)
• Sophomore All-American Honorable Mention (2009)
• Medical Redshirt/ Fractured Right Foot (2010)

Strengths

• Long arms…allows him to control blockers vs run
• Impressive with his hands…has an excellent club/rip move amongst others
• Strong…can jack OL back into the QB when he gets under their pads
• Good awareness and athleticism…almost impossible to cut block
• Can be overpowering at times…draws a lot of double teams
• Explosive and consistently disruptive…causes A LOT of problems in the offensive backfield
• Smart kid…works hard…coachable…gym rat…bounced back after fracturing his foot in 2010

Weaknesses

• Fooled by option plays too often…could be an issue with a changing offensive landscape in the NFL
• Doesn’t consistently play with good leverage
• Needs to work on shedding blockers more quickly…
• Not much of a factor in pursuit..lacks the speed to consistently chase down plays from backside
• Lacked production…was around the ball but not a consistent closer…
• Has an injury past with a fractured foot (2010) that sidelined him the entire season

Final Thoughts

Datone Jones is one of the most intriguing prospects I’ve studied thus far. He’s a player that, if you look only at his numbers, you come away somewhat underwhelmed. But then you watch the film, you’re immediately impressed with pass rush ability, strength, quickness, ability to disrupt plays, and versatility as both a 5-technique (3-4 Defensive End) and 3-technique ( 4-3 Defensive Tackle). Jones didn’t have the big stats but managed 6.5 sacks despite playing primarily end in an odd front and being double-teamed often. He’s one of those players that teams will bank on being more productive as a pro than he was at the collegiate level due to his upside and his flaws being correctable with some sound coaching.

The Kansas City Chiefs should take a really hard look at Jones because, right off the bat, he would be an upgrade over Tyson Jackson. Yeah, I know that’s not a difficult feat by any stretch, but Jones is a kid that could come in and give the Chiefs solid production as a rookie in the D-line rotation and continue to get better. All the intangibles are there.

Jones also proved himself against some top tier OL at the Senior Bowl. He was the only DL to beat Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher a few times and Fisher is a guy many feel could be a better OT prospect than Luke Joeckel. Also, unlike Tyson Jackson at LSU, Jones has a great deal of experience as a DE in an odd front for the Bruins. Therefore, his rookie learning curve arguably won’t be as steep as Jackson’s who was strictly a 4-3 end at LSU.

Overall, I’m very much looking forward to Jones’ performance at the combine.  Keep an eye out for him.