Senior Bowl Spotlight: Isaiah “Zay” Jones, East Carolina University

Height: 6’ 01 ⅞”
Weight: 202 lbs
Hands: 9’’
Arm: 32 ¼”
Wing: 77 ¾”
40 yard dash: 4.45  (official)

NFL Comparison: DeAndre Hopkins, Justin Hardy

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Scouting Notes: Chances are, if you paid any attention to 2017 Senior Bowl coverage, you already have a pretty good idea of what Jones is capable of. Cooper Kupp was the big prospect among WRs coming into the week, and he was ever-so-solid, but Jones blew the top off the joint with his dynamic play. His reps seemed so much more explosive than everyone else’s, and seemingly every play he made could have ended up on a highlight reel. Jones snatches the ball out of the air with authority, rarely letting the ball come into his body. Jones plays powerful and fast, even though he’s just pushing 200 pounds and only projected to be 4.5 40 guy. Jones is quick off of the line and decisive in his cuts, showing low, swiveling hips and excellent body control. He’s able to get behind defenses with precise route-running and smooth acceleration, so his long speed – the only area he’s lacking in outside of more bulk- isn’t the hindrance that you might think it would be, as he’s usually blown by or outmaneuvered his defender by the time he’s caught the football. And he catches everything. Jones is the FBS all-time leader in receptions with 399 over his four-year career, including 158 catches in 2016, which is a single-season FBS record. He does everything he has to to come down with the ball, and his catching radius is impressive as well – Jones actually has a wider wingspan than the lanky Josh Reynolds, another Senior Bowl standout.

Fantasy Outlook: Jones’ stock is likely to skyrocket after the week he had in Mobile. You can give QB Davis Webb the game MVP, but everyone watching it knew that Jones was the best player on the field that day. Jones would’ve run away with the honors if not for a couple TDs being called back (one of which should not have been). The draft field is deep, though; there were numerous NFL-caliber WRs on both Senior Bowl squads and big headliners at the top, so Jones could wait awhile before hearing his named called out in April. He’s got WR1 written all over him though, and the guy is a film freak from NFL stock. His dad played for the Cowboys, so he should make the adjustment to Sundays with ease given championship pedigree. It may be a little contrarian at this point, but he’s worth a late-1st round dynasty draft spot wherever he lands, and redraft consideration if he goes somewhere particularly receiver-needy. If Jones can go boom in the pros like he did all of his career and this past week, he’s going to help win a lot of folks fantasy championships … and sooner than later.