The Big East's best: No. 17, Arthur Jones
February, 9, 2010
2/09/10
11:22
AM ET
By
Brian Bennett | ESPN.com
A postseason ranking of the Big East's top 30 players:
No. 17
JonesArthur Jones, DT, Syracuse, Sr.
Preseason rank: 9
Why him here: On 2009 statistics alone, Jones might have a hard time making this list. He had only 18 tackles last season, though more than a third of them were for a loss.
But let's look at the big picture here. Jones had a standout four-year career for a team that often wasn't very good around him. He was subjected to constant double-teams as the Orange's best defensive lineman. He was coming back from a torn pectoral muscle in the preseason and missed the end of the regular season with a knee injury.
The bottom line is that the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder was one of the best interior linemen in the Big East, and he remains an intriguing NFL draft prospect. Just maybe not the first- or second-rounder he was projected to be a year ago.
Previous:
No. 18: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 19: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 20: Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
No. 21: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 23: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
No. 24: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati
No. 17
Preseason rank: 9
Why him here: On 2009 statistics alone, Jones might have a hard time making this list. He had only 18 tackles last season, though more than a third of them were for a loss.
But let's look at the big picture here. Jones had a standout four-year career for a team that often wasn't very good around him. He was subjected to constant double-teams as the Orange's best defensive lineman. He was coming back from a torn pectoral muscle in the preseason and missed the end of the regular season with a knee injury.
The bottom line is that the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder was one of the best interior linemen in the Big East, and he remains an intriguing NFL draft prospect. Just maybe not the first- or second-rounder he was projected to be a year ago.
Previous:
No. 18: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 19: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 20: Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
No. 21: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 23: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
No. 24: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati
Brian Bennett | email
College Football- ESPN.com Big Ten blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008
- Wrote for The Courier-Journal
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
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