The EDGE position in the NFL can see many different types of athletes fill that role. It all depends on fit and style with the team who drafts them. Even fronts like an EDGE who can put a hand in the ground and have some power to their game. Meanwhile, a team who runs an odd front may like an edge rusher to be lighter and faster with an ability to use speed to get the passer, and athleticism to drop in coverage.
Andre Jones has an uphill climb in order to hear his name called during the NFL Draft this year. Listed as a linebacker, but scouted as an EDGE, it’s difficult to see a pathway to early selection for him. When looking at his scouting report, is there a pathway to Jones finding himself on an NFL roster?
Andre Jones NFL Draft Profile
- Position: EDGE
- School: Louisiana
- Year: Sixth-Year Senior
Jones was rated as a two-star prospect by 247 Sports. He was a two-time first-team District 8-1A selection and helped VHS to a district title and semifinal berth in the Class 1A state playoffs. As a multi-sport athlete, Jones excelled in basketball, earning honorable mention Class 1A All-State honors in 2016 for the Wildcats.
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Fast forward to Jones’ fourth season in college, as a redshirt junior, he started in all 11 games during the 2020 season. His effort was good enough to rank fifth on the team in total tackles with 43 while adding 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He added three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Jones had a second redshirt junior season in 2021 and had something of a breakout year. He started all 14 games and ranked fourth on the team with 60 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Jones’ final season of 2022, he took another step forward as a pass rusher, totaling 7.5 sacks to go along with 51 total tackles.
Andre Jones Scouting Report
Strengths: Explosive pass-rushing college defender who has been productive over the past three seasons. Breaks down well and uses his hands to protect himself. Explosive and shows plenty of athleticism in his game. Instinctive and plays assignment football.
Quickly diagnoses plays, easily changes direction, and moves well laterally. Strong for his size, stands up blockers to allow teammates to make plays on the ball, and doesn’t give up on the action. Disciplined with coverage assignments and can flip his hips, drop off the line, and cover running backs in the short field.
Weaknesses: Doesn’t get much depth on pass drops. Doesn’t really play to his 40-time or show a closing burst.
Overall: Jones has been a terrific defender for Louisiana over the past three seasons and has watched his draft stock take off as of late. He projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker and will be a situational pass rusher on Sundays who is also used on special teams.
Andre Jones Combine Measurements and Results
The NFL Scouting Combine gives us a great opportunity to see how players stack up in various testing environments. Luckily, PFN has full databases of both NFL Combine measurements and NFL Combine results. Below is everything you need to know from Jones’ Combine performance.
- Height: 6044
- Weight: 248
- Arm: 34 ¼”
- Hand: 10”
- Bench Press: N/A
- 40-Yard Dash: N/A
Andre Jones Current Draft Projection
According to Tony Pauline’s Big Board, Jones projects as a sixth-round selection, but it’s much more likely he goes undrafted. Given his age of 25, peaking in his sixth college season, the concern for Jones is the possibility that we’ve already seen his best while playing in a relatively weak conference.
Over six years of college football, Jones added 30+ pounds to his frame, and it’s difficult to discern how he will fare in the NFL at that weight consistently.
At outside linebacker, Jones is listed as Pauline’s 16th-best available at the position and 200th overall. Yet, when accounting for defensive ends on Tony’s big board, he is actually the 31st-rated EDGE available.
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Jones’ Relative Athletic Score is incomplete. Based on just size and explosion numbers alone, it was impossible to calculate a score. He recorded no speed or agility numbers. The numbers he did produce were only explosion numbers, and they weren’t very good. In fact, Jones’ vertical jump of 29” was considered “very poor.”
When I ran through the Pro Football Network Mock Draft Simulator, Jones is the 350th ranked player on the consensus big board, so needless to say, he doesn’t ever get drafted. It is most likely that result plays out in reality, and Jones goes the undrafted free agent route to making a roster.