NFL Draft
2/17/25
5 min read
Sai’vion Jones 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For LSU Tigers DL
Height: 6051 (verified)
Weight: 289lbs (verified)
Year: Senior
Pro Comparison: Jalyn Holmes
Scouting Overview
LSU Tigers defensive end Sai’vion Jones projects as a developmental role player at the NFL level. He’s a role-specific player who would be best implemented on run downs as a rotational base end.
He lacks the bend, fluidity, or explosiveness on the edge to warrant high-volume snaps as a pass rusher and projects as a potential conversion inside to rush the B-gap at the NFL level. He was not charged with doing so at LSU, leaving him as a complete projection as a pass rusher. As a run defender, he’s capable of resetting the line of scrimmage and occupying blocks to allow his linebackers to run free and fit behind him.
2025 NFL Combine Results
| Position | Name | School | 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Split | Broad Jump | Vertical Jump | 3-Cone Drill | 20-Yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| EDGE | Sai'vion Jones | LSU | 119 | 33 | 19 |
Positives
- Boasts stiff punch and heavy hands to create knockback
- Possesses effective length to play at extension to keep his chest clean in the run game
- Made a number of second-effort plays that highlight his motor and strain
Negatives
- Struggles to dictate terms of spacing on the edge with his first step. He won’t stress tackles consistently rushing outside-in
- Does not have the bend or body control to convert opportunities when unblocked or winning early to finish splash play chances
- Missed more than 25 percent of tackle opportunities in 2024; he struggles to flash and widen to mirror in space
Background
Jones is from Vacherie, LA, and played high school football at St. James HS. There, he was a standout talent as a basketball player, a football player, and on the track. Jones threw shot put and javelin in addition to earning All-District honors in basketball. On the gridiron, Jones was ranked as a 4-star defensive end and enrolled at LSU as a member of their 2021 recruiting class.
Jones appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2021 before collecting three starts as a true sophomore in 2022. That year, he played in 14 contests, and then, he played another 13 on the edge for the Tigers in 2023. He claimed a starting role for the Tigers full-time in 2024, starting all 13 games on the edge.
Jones finished his career with an accepted invite to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Tale Of The Tape
Jones is an imposing presence along the defensive front, thanks to a well-filled-out frame. His calling card as a talent is the power and physicality he brings to the position. Although, you do see some pleasant glimpses of movement in space that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a player of his stature.
However, he should be considered a bit of a tweener for the pro game. Jones has the physicality to play and help set the edge against the run. He offers heavy hands, the length to punch and extend, and diagnose action at the point of attack. When he plays linearly within his frame, he boasts a lot of power to control his assignment.
This run-game appeal comes at the expense of a pass-rush profile that has a lot of sustainable disruption. A number of times, teams would leave Jones unblocked on the backside and boot off run fakes, and he struggled to mirror or finish unblocked tackle challenges in space. His rush counters are mostly power-oriented, but Jones does flash the ability to rip and swipe through hands.
If the win isn’t collected early, however, he can get stuck trying to bend the edge and does not have the dynamic lower-body athleticism to carry speed and corner simultaneously. As a result, Jones can be run past the top of the arc and will lose his footing. Instances in which Jones keeps his feet and the quarterback drops his eyes to avoid the rush is where Jones collected a number of his sacks this past season.
Jones did have a number of wins crashing into the B-gap from playing overtop of tackles. While his quickness is modest to play on the edge and in space, he could viably have disruption by beating heavy-footed guards inside if he played more in the B-gap from his alignment.
This is a projection, and a leap of faith teams will need to assess individually. In a world where Jones makes that conversion on passing downs, he could serve as a base end and then kick inside on long and late downs or potentially look to play as a 4i full-time in odd fronts.
This is a player who should be considered a developmental talent. Thanks to his run diagnosis, length, and heavy hands, he offers a floor worthy of a 53-man roster spot, but he likely will need time throughout his rookie contract before building himself up into an amended role.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Jones projects as a tight-alignment defensive end or a potential conversion to rush as a 4i/3T defender in the NFL. He offers sufficient movement skills for such a role but is miscast playing on the edge unless he’s afforded a buffer via an OLB playing outside of him to protect defensive leverage.
If kept on the edge, Jones projects as a rotational run-down end who would be tasked with occupying the edge and resetting the line of scrimmage.
Grade: 69.00/100.00, Sixth Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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