Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Review 2016: Chris Jones
By Matt Conner
Before the Kansas City Chiefs draft an entire new draft class to analyze, let’s take a look back at last year. The first Rookie Review is defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs waited and watched an entire first round go by in 2016 only to have their favorite team trade out of their original spot near the end of the broadcast. Instead of taking a player at No. 28, the San Francisco 49ers paid the price to jump back into the first round to select guard Joshua Garnett. In return, the Chiefs traded down 9 slots to No. 37 overall, a second round choice, and picked up the Niners choices in the fourth and sixth rounds. Thus, the Chiefs first pick in the draft ended up being a second rounder in defensive lineman Chris Jones from Mississippi State.
Measurements
6-6, 310 lbs.
Key college stats
44 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks in 2015.
What they said at the time
"“Keep in mind, Dontari Poe is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. They just re-signed Jay Howard. [He] has a lot of upside and potential, but is inconsistent, both with technique and motor. Coach Andy Reid is going to have to get it out of him.” -Mike Mayock"
One year later
If there’s a single move that should be analyzed to show just how incredible John Dorsey is at his job, it’s the move to get Chris Jones. Forget the trade for a second and the selection itself was brilliant. Jones took a bit to find his rhythm at the pro level and earn his reps, given that he had a loaded defensive line in front of him, including Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey. Still by the season’s second half, the Chiefs knew exactly what they had with Jones. Of course, it helped that Howard and Bailey were injured for the year, but Jones was already a known quantity by then, a dynamic rookie for whom the stat sheet doesn’t begin to tell the story.
Along with players like Geno Atkins and Aaron Donald, Chris Jones looks like one of the NFL’s elite interior players who can affect the pocket and get after the passer himself (or freeing up those around him). He should be even better with a full offseason of rest and a year of experience under his belt, although he is no longer a secret to any defensive coordinator. Still, the Chiefs’ signing of Bennie Logan to go with the aforementioned returnees from injury should equal a talented and hungry defensive line for 2017
Now, back to that trade. It’s very, very possible that Jones would have been the pick at No. 28 overall as well as No. 37. Dorsey’s willingness to trade back will cost him with Jones in particular, given that he won’t have a fifth year team option on Jones like all first rounders come with. That said, he also picked up Parker Ehinger and D.J. White in the process. We’ll get to both players in time with our Rookie Review series, but for now, we can say that Dorsey lost one year of financial security with Jones four years from now in exchange for a starting left guard and a potential late round gem at cornerback.
Summary
A masterstroke by John Dorsey in every way.