Top 30 Most Overlooked High School Recruits to Go Pro Since 2000
By Zach Bigalke
Our list begins in New York, where Chandler Jones was an All-Region selection playing defensive end and tight endduring his senior season at Union-Endicott High School. As such, he was one of the more highly touted recruits in New York and in the northeast. Both Scout and Rivals had Jones rated as a two-star prospect at tight end in the class of 2008, and he was the 92nd-ranked player at the position according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He was given a look by Buffalo and Connecticut, but once Syracuse showed interest Jones moved 90 minutes up the I-81 to play for the Orange.
Jones never saw the field in 2008, the last season for Greg Robinson, and once he got playing time in 2009 it was for Doug Marrone. There was never much thought of putting Jones on offense, as he began to show his potential on the edge with 52 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. A year later, he notched four sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery to go along with 57 total tackles. As a senior injuries limited him to just seven games, but in that span he had 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. It was enough for Bill Belichick and New England to take a chance on him with a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Jones racked up 11 sacks in his first year in Arizona in 2016 after amassing 36 in four seasons as a Patriot.