The now famous NFL combine has now come and gone for Chandler Jones. The combine gauges all of the physical skills each player has. Every single NFL comes to this event each year in Indianapolis. Sometimes a player's stock will jump considerably and other times it will fall considerably. Chandler Jones was invited and participated in the drills put forth by the league. Jones has been predicted by several sources anywhere from the late 1st round to as far back as the late 3rd round. I firmly believe after the effort shown by Jones that he has solidified himself as being no worse than a 3rd round draft pick.
The scouts always measure a prospect before the drills begin. Jones officially measured at 6 feet 5 inches tall. His weight was 266 pounds. His arm length was 35 and a half inches, with his hand size being 9 and three-quarters inches. NFL.com has said, "he has a good wingspan and is a long strider.....which will give him great range".
As far as the ever important drills go, Jones took part in 6 different drills. Each drill had its specific measure for each skill. In the 20 yard shuttle Jones ran it in 4.38 seconds. In the 3 cone drill he ran a 7.07 seconds time. He had a 120" broad jump and a 35" vertical jump, both of which made scouts impressed and made them eye Jones. He ranked in the top 5 in both of the jump drills among all defensive ends. He did 22 reps on the 225-pound bench press. In arguably the most important drill of all, the 40-yard dash, Jones ran a 4.82 seconds time. So these results tell us that Jones is a well rounded prospect with a few things to work on, as all rookies have. The undeniable thing is the athleticism that Jones has.
Stay with Syracuse Pros throughout the draft season as Chandler Jones and other Syracuse players jump to the NFL. Check back Saturday for a Nick Provo combine recap!
