Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Deion Jones
Today is Draft Day! So far, most of Todd McShay’s mock drafts have the Kansas City Chiefs taking a defensive player.
That pattern may continue with the possibility of Kansas City taking LSU outside line-backer Deion Jones. Deion Jones started one game his Junior year at LSU, due to being behind Kwon Alexander. When Alexander left for the NFL it was time for Jones to step up, and he did in the biggest way.
In 2015, the only season that he was the starter in he recorded 100 tackles, 13.5 tackles for the a loss, five sacks, and two interceptions. He was the Defensive MVP for LSU as well as one of the top finalists for the Butkus award, recognizing the nations top linebacker.
According to NFL.com, Jones shows the quick agile feet of a good linebacker. From a physical perspective he has the build of a NFL player, but he lacks the size that could be needed from some NFL teams.
Despite his size he still shows the power and pad popping ability needed to be a play-maker. He is not afraid to be the first to the hole and make the tackle in traffic. His ability to make the tackle at first impact will make him a special player not allowing running- backs to get to the next level.
According to cbssports.com, Jones does lack the size that a lot of teams are looking for, but he does show the ability to line up and cover all over the field.
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With that skill he can play in multiple packages and can make a impact no matter what the situation is. Deion Jones also has a tendency to take aggressive angles to the ball which at times can put him too far in the backfield to be effective. In 2015, Jones had two interceptions, but he dropped other passes that could have been a interception.
Linebacker is not a position that Kansas City has an immediate need for in 2016 but as early as 2017 holes may open up.
Justin Houston is expected to play according to John Dorsey in a recent article from ESPN reporter Adam Teicher, but when and how effective he will be are big questions. Pro-Bowler Tamba Hali is a town favorite, but age is catching up with him, and he may not be the same player that we are all used to.
Finally, 2016 will be the year Dee Ford shows us if he was worth the first round pick that the Chiefs used on him in 2014. If Dee Ford can not produce then there will be a job opening in 2017. This is where drafting Deion Jones could be a good idea.
The bottom line for the Kansas City Chiefs is this: With players like Tamba Hali and Justin Houston in question for 2016, it is very possible that Deion Jones could be checking in to camp next month with the Chiefs. It would be risky in the first round, but it may have to do, because he will not be there when the Chiefs pick in the second round.
So what do you think Kansas City Chiefs fans? Who do you like in the first round of this year’s draft? Let me know in the comments’ section below.