The Arizona Cardinals are coming off of a loss last week to the Seattle Seahawks that came down to the wire on Thursday Night Football. Going into Week 12, the Cardinals have the 19th-ranked defense in the NFL.
With the absence of Chandler Jones, we have seen flashes of their trade deadline acquisition Markus Golden. However, the future of this position is still in question. The Cardinals’ pass rush win rate is just 44% while their run stop rate is 29%. They will need a player to boost their edge-rushing corps for next season and their future. One perfect fit would be Pitt standout Patrick Jones II.
The Pitt Panthers had a lot of excitement on their defense with guys like Paris Ford and Jaylen Twyman, who opted out of the season, and Patrick Jones II, who has been nothing short of impressive this season and it sometimes goes unnoticed. He is lengthy and has the perfect body frame to be a productive player at the NFL level. Jones has been efficient on the inside, but he excels as a pass rusher. He is explosive off the ball and is very active with his hands. Last season, Jones recorded 43 tackles, 12 for loss, and eight sacks, earning Second Team All-ACC. This season, he has 34 total tackles and is second in the nation with eight sacks through nine games. He screams consistency and, with the opt outs of Ford and Twyman, Jones has become the leader of that Panthers defense and has gained even more of the spotlight than he already had. Jones would be the perfect player to complement Chandler Jones for the future of the Arizona Cardinals. He will be an intriguing player to watch come April, as his draft stock continues to rise.
Jones has been consistent throughout the majority of his career as a Pitt Panther. However, unlike other edge rushers like Michigan Edge rusher Kwity Paye or even Penn State edge rusher Jayson Oweh, Jones does not necessarily play with a high motor at times. There are some plays where he is so explosive off the ball and violent with his hands. However, there are other plays where Jones will play too high and lose all of his intensity and leverage he needs to win his one-on-one battles. Patrick Jones II is far from a project. But, this will be something to watch closely at the next level, and what better player to learn from than Cardinals two-time All-Pro edge rusher Chandler Jones.
Patrick Jones II is an impressive talent that will be an intriguing player to watch at the NFL level. He has high upside and has the length and body frame to be a successful NFL edge rusher. His motor, or ability to play at a high level at times, can be concerning and he does have room to grow. However, with his draft stock continuing to rise, he could be a nice fit for the Cardinals’ edge-rushing corps that is in question and would benefit greatly from learning behind one of the best edge rushers in the game in Chandler Jones.
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