Chicago Bears 2021 NFL Draft: Prospects with hometown ties
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears Draft Prospects with Hometown Ties: DL Naquan Jones
Hometown: Mount Prospect, IL
One area that fans should be most excited about for the upcoming season is the Bears’ defensive line. Those big guys up front are going to be a menacing group. Between Akiem Hicks, the return of Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols starting, and then Angelo Blackson and Mario Edwards in the rotation, Chicago has some excellent depth there.
Continuing our focus on the tail end of the draft, the Bears could add one more guy to their defensive front in Michigan State’s Naquan Jones. The giant stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 323 pounds, making him perfectly suited to play behind Goldman.
Jones is a player who has always had plenty of potential but hasn’t gotten a full opportunity until 2020. He was supposed to be a massive part of the Spartans’ defense over the past few seasons, but Jones simply hasn’t taken the step most thought he would.
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Although he’s not lived up to the hype, Jones still intrigues some scouts. He has the mass and power to be at least a great backup nose tackle. His strength is evident when watching him, but his technique could use some work. As a pro, he’ll have to take coaching seriously when it comes to his hand placement especially.
The potential for Jones to still be one heck of a run stuffer is there. He won’t offer much in terms of pass rushing, but plugging the middle shouldn’t be a problem if he takes this opportunity seriously.