Five Best ACC Grads Playing in the Super Bowl

Chandler Jones may be the best on this list in the future, but for now he is number 5. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

5. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse 

Some may be surprised that Chandler Jones is checking on at number five with all the talent and natural ability he has and his double digit sack total last year. However truth be told the other players on this list were better than him and I think there are some knocks on Jones as well.

First the good though. Jones is an absolute stud pass rusher who is able to generate good power with his rush and a wide array of moves that make him dangerous on the edge, and also allow him to bump inside and rush from the tackle spot. Jones has improved his lower body strength a lot since coming to the NFL and has become much better at setting the edge in the run game rather than just rushing to the passer. Jones also has incredibly long arms that allows him to swat the hands of offensive lineman away.

The knocks that I have against Jones however are that although I know he plays a lot of snap, he tends to wear down and get injured toward the latter parts of the season. I also would like to see Jones become more consistent as a run defender. There is no doubt he has improved in that area as I mentioned above, but he needs to get better at setting the edge. I realize these are nitpicks, but with the other people on the list, you have to be picky.

I think Jones has great potential and could easily be a top five defensive end in the NFL in the coming years if he puts it all together, but until then he will stay down on the list.

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