On draft weekend, the Vikings took two offensive linemen before selecting a defensive lineman, which is great news for Stephen Weatherly and D.J. Wonnum. Now Patrick Jones II out of Pittsburgh will join that competition for edge-rushing reps next to Danielle Hunter. At pick 90, Jones won’t be expected to be a Day 1 starter. But if he impresses in training camp, he could push for that job. In all likelihood, it will be some level of rotation between the three, with fourth-rounder Janarius Robinson redshirting on the bench. So how Jones develops will have a great impact on all three’s usage over the season.
Jones is generally seen as a high-floor player with a low ceiling, as edge rushers go. Part of that is attributable to his athletic profile. He’s not a poor athlete by any means, but he doesn’t display a ton of power, and his 32″ arms are disappointing for his 6’4″ frame.
Despite this, Jones was a pretty productive player. Some of that is thanks to cleanup sacks, but he has some genuinely exciting traits that the Vikings have fallen in love with. Chiefly among those is how quickly he explodes off the snap.
[videopress nvSemjA4]That explosiveness comes in handy a lot in the run game. If you can play like a professional against the run from Day 1, you earn pass-rushing opportunities. A pass rusher who plays on all three downs will pay out their investment more quickly than a better pass rusher who only gets to play on third and long because he can’t hold up against the run.
[videopress MO8Ib7bc]Jones made a lot of his highest highlights against the read-option. He showed a ton of discipline in his assignment while also showing explosiveness to crash down and make plays. Teams tried to read him out of the play a ton over his time at Pittsburgh, to no avail.
[videopress dUe87K6c]All this gives Jones that high floor. Players that can run defend can earn the reps necessary to put up production. But now, let’s talk about what to do on the pass-rushing opportunities he earns.
Jones, like most edge rushers, has a favorite move. He loves a club with his inside hand and a swim with his outside hand. That way, he can knife through the inside gap and have a faster path to the quarterback. This is a good go-to for Jones, who doesn’t have length but does have pretty good height.
[videopress pp0gkJQe]Just about everything Jones does starts with that club. Therein lies his biggest issue. Clubbing the offensive lineman’s hands away helps you get favorable engagements. But offensive linemen know this and refuse to expose their hands to that club. Those “late hands” are the hallmark of a top prospect like Alijah Vera-Tucker or former Vikings tackle Riley Reiff. Jones will swat his hands anyways and expose his frame to free hits.
[videopress pttP1HJq]Those free hits lead to a balance issue that shows up a concerning amount. Jones has a lot of trouble keeping his feet, thanks in part to his slender build. There have been many an offensive line highlight at Jones’ expense thanks to this.
[videopress E5HHjxmK]Because of this, Jones has an issue getting around the corner. So he has everything he needs to earn pass-rush opportunities and position himself well within them. Still, he can’t convert those positions into production often enough to be a complete prospect.
[videopress uaXUlYDU]It’s difficult to strategize from the base of skills Jones has. He has to improve on several minor skills, which will translate into major ones. He has to bend better around the edge. That could turn him into a speed rusher that would give someone like Orlando Brown Jr. fits.
He could work exclusively on his hand-fighting technique, which would age very well over the course of his career. He could make his way as someone who wins with a decent athletic profile but polished, sharp strategy. That sort of game could lead to a long, long career in the NFL if he could pull it off.
He could take it in a completely different direction. Jones utilizes a lot of power and violence to generate wins in both sides of the game. Couple that with his fast get-off, and you could create an elite speed-to-power game that sets up spins, swims, and all sorts of tricks later on in his career. Following in Everson Griffen‘s footsteps in this way should be an easy sell for Vikings fans.
These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive, but it’s probably best if he chooses one type of game and hones in on that. If he can keep his spot on the roster by becoming a bendy speed rusher, he can use the time that buys to work on his hand fighting or a speed-to-power game. But if the Vikings try to fix everything at once, Jones could be a bigger project than Chazz Surratt or Kellen Mond.
Patrick Jones doesn’t have to be a major project. He has the run-game skill to get on the field Day 1, which will help in his competition with D.J. Wonnum and Stephen Weatherly. While he doesn’t have an eye-popping athletic ceiling, his get-off provides a ceiling of its own. There are a lot of ways to win in the NFL, and Jones’ athletic testing isn’t disastrous. It’s just okay. He comes with a lot of skills halfway developed. Finish one or two off, and watch his career compound on itself.
Shoutout to Simply Sports, the YouTube channel where I sourced a lot of this tape.
