2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Mikel Jones (LB – Syracuse)

As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Mikel Jones.

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Mikel Jones (LB – Syracuse)

6’1” – 224 lbs.

Background:

Four-star prospect who started four of twelve games as a freshman, totaling 384 snaps and ending up with 38-2.0-0.5 on the year. Stepped into a full-time starting role in 2020 and had 68 tackles, one sack, and four interceptions. Expanded his output to 109-12.0-3.0 in 2021 and finished with 84-7.0-4.0 in 2022.

Positives:

Team captain who’s highly regarded by coaches. Has a lot of muscle on his frame. Plays the game with toughness and solid instincts. Good pre-snap communicator. Reads keys faster than most other linebackers in the class; diagnoses quickly and doesn’t take many false steps in pursuit. Has pretty good suddenness to slip through congestion and get to the ball carrier. Thudding hitter, especially for his size. Has the stopping power to stonewall runners at the line. Appears to have better length than his size would indicate. Efficient wrap tackler who has made major strides in the area since his freshman year, missing just 6.7% (2021) and 9.3% (2022) of his attempts over the past two years. Sniffs out screens quickly. Shows some ability to carry opposing targets into the flat. Nice shoulder dip to work his way into the backfield as a pass-rusher.

Negatives:

On the small side for a pro linebacker. Not quite as athletic as is typical for a player with his size; works to get out to the sidelines, but doesn’t fly around the field. Tends to work around rather than through opposing blockers. Flexibility appears average at the best. Has to sell out to make some plays near the sidelines, limiting his ability to break down. Passing-down responsibilities were limited to very short zones, spying the quarterback, and blitzing; may not be able to work in man coverage against many pro players, either. Can close reasonably fast when schemed a straight path as a pass-rusher, but doesn’t bend easily.

Summary:

A productive, experienced player who has a good feel for the position, but who is relatively small for a pro linebacker and doesn’t have the speed and flexibility typical of more undersized options. Will probably be a middle-only linebacker at pro level, so may have to add additional functional strength to mix things up with blockers between the tackles, but could be hard to cut once he gets onto a roster because of his savvy and leadership skills. Probably more of a mid-round option who will begin his career on special teams.

Projection: Round 5