Jarvis Jones (DE, Georgia) vs Missouri

Jarvis Jones could be a better fit for Seattle than any other team in the league. At 6-3 and around 240-5lbs he’s not the prototype 4-3 end. I’m not completely convinced he’s a great fit as a 3-4 OLB. Jones needs to be at the line, rushing the passer, in a scheme that will get the most out of what many will view as an undersized pass rush specialist.

He’s not the ‘ideal LEO’ as Bruce Irvin was described earlier this year. He’s not going to run a 40-yard-dash as well as Irvin. He’s not quite as lean as either of Seattle’s current pass rushers. But Jones has a superior all-round skill set – combining strength, speed, athleticism and motor to create the best overall defensive prospect eligible for the 2013 draft.

Need any further evidence he fits Pete Carroll’s system? Carroll recruited Jones for USC and he spent a year with the Trojans before suffering a neck injury. Disagreements ensued between player and school over when he would return due to the serious nature of the injury, and he chose to head home and transfer to Georgia. He sat out 2010, but returned to the field last year to record 13.5 sacks – the highest in a loaded SEC. He started the 2012 season in the same vein, with 1.5 sacks against Buffalo and then a performance for the ages against Missouri on the road.

Jones dominated the Tigers on their big night (first game in the SEC). He was a constant force off the edge and seemingly always involved. He rushed the passer, he forced turnovers. He ended with a stat line that included two recorded sacks and an interception. He deflected a pass, he forced fumbles. And yet the numbers don’t seem to tell the whole story.

If the raw athleticism wasn’t enough, he played with such an intensity. He’s dragging along that Georgia defense, which was missing several key starters again on Saturday. Does he have ideal size? No. He’s not JPP or DeMarcus Ware. Does his size matter? Absolutely not. He’s not some work-out-warrior or a rusher who relies on one skill (speed, power). He’s the complete pass rusher in college football right now. Jones is good against the run, he can drop into coverage. He does it all.

It’s funny that he wears #29 for Georgia because his attitude and persona compares well to Seattle’s own #29 – Earl Thomas. He’s not a talker, he’ll keep himself to himself most of the time. But he has that fire, and players gravitate towards him because he leads by example. He’s also got that similar playmaking knack – 17 sacks in 1.2 seasons with Georgia. Thomas had eight interceptions as a redshirt sophomore alone. Like Thomas, Jones might get marked down for a lack of true size – but both players have elite potential.

All being well, Seattle won’t be picking early enough to get at this guy. The ambitions of this team go beyond another nice draft pick this year, and one defeat against Arizona doesn’t change that. What’s more, the Seahawks are hoping ‘pass rusher’ will be near the bottom of the list of needs next April after drafting Bruce Irvin and re-signing Chris Clemons. The offense could be the priority going forward, especially if the team wants Russell Wilson to start and succeed long term. In the unlikely event the Seahawks are in position to draft Jarvis Jones, however, drafting him should be one of the easiest decisions this franchise ever makes.

12 Comments

  1. Mtjhoyas

    What are the chances that Jones slides in the draft due to his uniqueness? We saw Melvin Ingram slide because of his unique size/ability despite his production. I’d love to see Jarvis Jones, but I think we are in dire need of playmakers. Nice read Rob.

    • Rob Staton

      There’s a chance, there’s always a chance when a player isn’t a prototype for his position. More often than not teams stick to the book, and I like the fact this front office isn’t pigeon holed like that. But the guy is such a playmaker I anticipate he will remain a top-10 pick. He could have the best part of 30 sacks in two seasons by the end of the year. In the SEC.

  2. peter

    Well, it’s official, Rob started writing about this guy last year, and now he’s up on the blog…undoubtedly we WILL NOT be picking him. Just joking Rob, though to be fair you were pretty far along the RGIII curve last year before pundits let go of the Landry Jones magic and switched their attention to the eventual Heisman winner.

    The seahawks need playmakers, and if Okung suffers another injury we may need that position again, but if Jones and the Seahawks meet up on draft day I for one will not be the least bit surprised nor will I be unhappy.

  3. Kevin Sylliaasen

    If we manage to stumble upon him, do you think wed get him to try and play Will linebacker if he could do that?

    • Rob Staton

      I think we’d use him as a defensive end – utilise what he’s best at.

  4. Kenny Sloth

    So, imagine this scenario. Somehow, we find ourselves in a position at the end of the season to draft BPA. Jones slides to us. Could we maybe move him or Irvin to LB (I saw someone mention Will, but I think Sam would fit their skill set better). Then we could move K.J. to the middle and Wagner to the Will spot? I feel like that would actually make the most out of abilities, if leaving a learning curve for our new Sam?

    • Rob Staton

      The thing is though – Irvin’s greatest quality (maybe his only true quality) is elite speed off the edge as a pass rusher. Jones is also without doubt at his best as a pass rusher lined up in a front four. Moving either around into a different position takes that away. I don’t expect Seattle to have any shot at Jones, but if they do, it’d be a three-way rotation until Clemons’ time is up.

      • Kenny Sloth

        Okay, well, how do you think Manti Te’o projects to our Will position?

        • Rob Staton

          He’s a better Mike. If they drafted Te’o they’d have to move Wagner to the Will.

  5. Kip Earlywine

    As I’ve said before, I’d be totally fine with Seattle pulling a “Julio Jones trade” type move for Jarvis Jones. He has elite ability and is a perfect scheme fit, for a position that will be a need in the near future.

    The only argument I can make against Jones is that his edge speed isn’t all that great- it wouldn’t surprise me if he underwhelmed at the combine. And given how Carroll worships speed especially at pass rusher, that could put a bit of a dent on Jones’ stock for Carroll. But in terms of talent and technique, Jones is a terrific prospect. He looks a lot bigger than his listed weight of 241, and he plays well against the run, too.

    I think Jones is a top 5 lock, but it is conceivable that he could fall in the draft if he shows up at the combine weighing in around 240 with a sub-par 40 time. That could scare away teams looking for a 4-3 end or possibly even 3-4 teams looking for OLB, at least enough for him to slip out of the top 10 picks. I don’t expect that to happen though. He’s just got too much talent.

  6. Jmpasq

    I like Jones but his lack of impact against ranked teams and quality OT’s is disconcerting. Dallas Thomas had no problem with Jones when lined up across from him surrendering just 1 pressure. Jones had zero sacks against ranked teams. The LSU and Bama games he had very little impact at all. Without Texas A&M,Alabama,LSU on the schedule we wont see him against the SEC’s . Im hoping Dallas Thomas ends up back at OT by the team the game rolls around

  7. smitty1547

    First in the rd1 were gonna draft some one we have never heard of, and 2 I hope its on the offensive side of the ball where we clearly have the most need, anywhere on O

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