Vikings selected DE Patrick Jones with the No. 90 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jones teamed up with fellow NFL Draft class of 2021 teammates Rashad Weaver and Jaylen Twyman to comprise one of the most fearsome defensive lines in the country the past two years. The Chesapeake, VA product enrolled at Pitt as a three-star recruit, playing sparingly until the 2018 Sun Bowl against Stanford when he posted five tackles, two tackles for losses, one sack, and a forced fumble. He established himself as an accomplished pass rusher, recording 62 pressures and 8.5 sacks on the way to second-team All-ACC status. His long, sleek frame is well suited to the mechanics of the edge position, and Jones has a few arrows in his quiver when it comes to pass rushing moves. Though very productive in college, he had a dreadful 1-for-9 win rate in Senior Bowl 1-on-1 drills, getting exposed against high level competition during the week long session. He ran a respectable 4.8 40-yard dash with a strong 1.58 second 10-yard split that ranks in the top 98 percentile of defensive ends and his overall RAS of 6.33 was a commendable mark. Jones projects as a 4-3 defensive end where he can be let loose to get after the passer in a manner similar to Mathias Kiwanuka.
