Chandler Jones still viewed as a top-40 player in the NFL
By Adam Patrick
Despite missing most of the 2020 season, Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones still managed to crack the top 40 in Pro Football Network’s recent rankings.
Last season, the Arizona Cardinals defense finished with the fourth-most sacks and the fifth-most pressures in the NFL.
What might have been the most impressive part about the Cardinals rushing the passer at a high level in 2020 was the fact that they did it despite Chandler Jones missing 11 games.
Jones has been one of the most talented pass rushers in the NFL during the last few years. If Arizona had Jones on the field for all of last season, they probably would have ended up leading the entire league in sacks and pressures.
Pro Football Network includes Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones in their Top 100
After only appearing in five games in 2020, some might think the 31-year-old Cardinals defender doesn’t have much left in the tank. But Pro Football Network is not among those who have lost any confidence in Jones.
In their NFL Top 100 for 2021 list, Pro Football Network has the Arizona pass rusher ranked as the No. 39 player in the league heading into the upcoming season.
There are still 30 slots that have to be revealed, but so far, Jones is the highest-ranked Cardinals player on the list. Budda Baker (65), Kyler Murray (81), and J.J. Watt (85). DeAndre Hopkins will probably be the final member of Arizona’s roster to end up on this list.
Heading into last season, Jones was given the No. 15 ranking in NFL Network’s annual top 100 countdown. Players from around the league vote on this list, so it will be interesting to see if the feelings about the Cardinals veteran pass rusher are similar to Pro Football Network’s for this year’s countdown.
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If Jones can stay healthy for the majority of the 2021 season and he gets back to his old ways of bringing down the opposing quarterback at a high rate, he could wind up passing Hopkins as the highest-ranked Arizona player on next year’s top 100 list from Pro Football Network.