NFL Mock Draft 2016: Green Bay Packers Select Chris Jones

Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State

Green Bay may have just gotten the best defensive lineman in the draft with Chris Jones.  He can play every spot/technique in a 3-4, interior in a 4-3 and even on the edge in a 4-3 in a pinch.  He's big enough to play NT and has long enough arms to hold off double teams and 2 gap.  He's also a great 1 gap penetrator.  So why does a player of his talent fall this far?   Lack of effort at times and questions about his technique.

The former is more concerning than the latter, but it is still amazing that he was as productive and disruptive as he was while being so technically raw.  This may mean he has the highest ceiling of all D linemen because he's literally just scratching the surface.

He will slide perfectly into GB's defense as a 3-4 end.  He can also play NT for them in a pinch.  In nickel/dime situations he can slide in and play DT next to Mike Daniels who played at an elite level last year.

Green Bay needs a disruptive presence on the interior of the line to allow Peppers and Mathews the chance to exploit Tackles in 1 on 1 situations, and Jones provides that.

Here's a good article from ProFootballFocus explaining why we should all pay more attention to him.

From PFF:

Position fit: 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle. Could also play some base end in a 4-3.

What he does best:

 Elite strength. When he plays low, offensive linemen end up in the backfield

 Elite length. Able to keep his body clean and control guards with one or two hands

 Size and skillset to line up anywhere on the line and be effective

 Plays through linemen to the running back as opposed to attacking running backs and getting washed out

Biggest concern:

 Terribly inconsistent. Lowest grade of the season came against Northwestern State

 Effort is a concern. Looked to give up on some plays even though he wasn't playing a high volume of snaps and had more negative grades than you'd like from a top pick.

 Burst off the line is lacking. Has a tendency to get high off the snap and play patty cake

 Didn't show the change of direction to translate pressures into sacks and bring down quarterbacks

Player Production Comparison: Muhammad  Wilkerson, New York Jets.

It's hard not to see some Wilkerson in Jones' game. Strength and length are the calling cards for each. And it's not unlikely for Jones to have a similar career arc. Wilkerson struggled adjusting to the pro game as a rookie before becoming one of the game's premier interior defenders.

Bottom line: The Mississippi State defensive tackle is terribly unrefined at this point, but his physical tools are too vast to ignore. He's only a junior yet already produced at a level unrivaled in the SEC. If his consistency improves in the NFL, he'll be worthy of a top-10 pick.

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Below are the complete results from our community mock draft.

Catch up with all of the mock draft selections in our 2016 CSC Community Mock Draft Hub.