Sai'vion Jones, EDGE, LSU
Size:
Height: 6053
Weight: 280
Arm: 33 ½”
Hand: 10”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
“Sai'vion Jones is a powerful, violent defender whose motor runs hot and is always looking to make a play.”
Strengths:
Power
Edge-setting run defense
Pass-rush toolbox
Effort
NFL size and length
Concerns:
Consistent first step
Pass-rush counters
Inconsistent pad level
Film Analysis:
Sai'vion Jones was a football, basketball, and track standout at St. James High School in Los Angeles, California. He was an all-district basketball player and participated in the shot put, javelin, and high jump as part of the track and field team, but football was his calling. As a senior, he racked up 75 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 23 quarterback hurries on his way to all-state honors and a four-star recruit ranking. Jones finished his collegiate career at LSU with 59 career tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks. He appeared in 51 games for the Tigers and was a starter each of the last two seasons.
Jones is easy to appreciate with his 6-foot-6 and 280-pound NFL frame, which offers inside flexibility, and his arm length is a great asset in every phase of defensive play. While he’s inconsistent off the ball, his experience as a high jumper shows up with an explosive first step that helps him generate quick power into an offensive lineman.
He’s a good run defender who sets a hard edge and locates the football quickly. When he extends his arms and finds the ball-carrier, he disengages fast and begins his pursuit. He was asked to run stunts on any given down, which put him in the backfield frequently, and he accumulated eight tackles for loss in 2024, which was the most of his career. Jones fell off more tackles this past year than at any point in his career due to lunging at ball-carriers instead of wrapping up with proper technique. Jones is a willing participant against pullers in the run game and gets down the line to set an edge and create a smaller window for the ball-carrier to run through.
He’s still putting it together as a pass rusher, but the effort is undeniable, even if the quickness to get to counters is a work in progress. When he explodes off the ball, he has multiple avenues to attack blockers with speed to power. He needs to work his extension as a pass rusher more frequently because he gets inside blockers too often and struggles to disengage quickly. With various pass-rush tools, Jones flashes sequencing to set up blockers throughout a game and reach a more effective move in key moments. He can pop out of his stance high and get caught on blockers with better pad level, but a more consistent first step will help. Jones moves violently and aggressively chops down or rips through the arms of blockers, but he can improve his effectiveness in disengaging with faster hands. He was a more impactful rusher in his senior season, with his motor showing up weekly; he had more pressures in 2024 than in his previous three seasons combined. That type of energy and playstyle translates to the NFL.
Jones needs to speed up his pass-rush process if he’s going to terrorize NFL quarterbacks, but his floor as a solid run defender, inside flexibility to a 3-4 defensive end, and pass-rush toolbox make him an intriguing defender in this EDGE class.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Alabama (2024), Ole Miss (2024), USC (2024), Texas A&M (2024)
