In lieu of another year of development at Syracuse, junior defensive end Chandler Jones will enter the 2012 NFL Draft, according to the school.
Physical specimen Chandler Jones enters 2012 NFL Draft
Jones, who noted he will graduate in May, played just seven games this season after suffering a leg injury in the season opener. Still, Jones earned first-team all-conference honors after finishing with 38 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.
There are several factors that should benefit Jones in the draft process. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Jones has rare length for the position and great straight-forward speed. Based on his family members — one brother, Arthur Jones is a Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle, and the other, Jon Jones, is a UFC champion — it's easy to guess that Jones will test out extremely well.
Jones flashed dominance at times in 2011, most notably against Pittsburgh earlier this month. In that game, he finished with 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss an interception and a forced fumble. But he was routinely the first player off the line of scrimmage and getting into the backfield.
Tony Pauline of SI.com/NFL Draft Insider noted earlier today that Jones received a third-round grade from the NFL Draft advisory board. Based on how many defensive ends get drafted, Jones could work his way into the end of the second round with good workouts. Judging by how he plays, Jones could test out like Jason Pierre-Paul did in 2010 and skyrocket up draft boards.
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