Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, EDGE, Arkansas State: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Ja’Von Rolland-Jones was a sack machine during his time in college, but will that do him any favors in the 2018 NFL draft? His scouting report says a lot.

Position:  EDGE

School:  Arkansas State

Year:  Senior

Height:  6’2″

Weight:  244 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Reasonable athlete. Seems smooth in his operation from a two-point stance and also shows an ability to rush from either the right or left edge spots.
• Though his length is average he does a good job of using his arms and delivering a strong punch with his hands, opening up chances for counter moves.
• Does a good job of selling the initial rush before looping back inside late on a stunt, often able to find the free lane to the QB.
• Solid hand fighting ability. Has an array of different moves that enable him to shed blockers and deliver a secondary rush if he’s initially stopped.
• Has considerable power in his lower body, showing a persistent ability to drive tackles back into the lap of the quarterback with a bull rush.

Rolland-Jones will be what they call a “worker bee” in the NFL. That’s not a bad thing. He’s one of those pass rushers who won’t be flashy but every so often he’ll appear to deliver a big sack thanks to his mix of power and hand fighting skill. Both are on display here as he keeps the blocker off his body while his strong legs power him around the edge to give him a clean shot at the quarterback for the sack.

• Shows the awareness and vision necessary to get his hands up on quick throws by the quarterback. Rarely caught off guard on counter plays.
• Insanely productive during his four years. He finished with 42 career sacks and a whopping 63 tackles for loss, proving his knack for making plays in the backfield.

WEAKNESSES:

• Undersized both in length and weight for a defensive end in the NFL. If he stays on the edge it will likely be as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
• Explosiveness is lacking. If he doesn’t time the snap perfectly he lacks the required burst to make up for it, allowing blockers to halt any outside threats.
• Never really faced top-tier competition through most of his college career. This no doubt had a hand in his great production.
• Rarely able to win with bend off the edge, speaking a general lack of speed. Tackles in the NFL will be able to ride him past the pocket almost consistently.
• Never asked to drop into coverage. This may limit him solely to a designated pass rusher role in the pros, at least early in his career.

Pro Comparison:  Trey Flowers

Flowers too was a productive pass rusher in college but suffered from size deficiencies that caused him to fall in the draft. Undeterred the Patriots scooped him up later on and quietly developed him in the background until he became one of their most effective edge defenders the past two years. Rolland-Jones isn’t quite as big as Flowers in terms of weight but their styles and frames are similar.

Projection:  5th Round

Flowers is a bit more athletic than Rolland-Jones, so it’s likely the latter may have to wait a little longer to hear his name called. That said he’s got a future in the NFL waiting for him. There is definite ability that can be harnessed into something productive if he finds the right system and coaches who understand what he does best.