Former Michigan State Star Could Earn Shocking NFL Pay Day
Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Naquan Jones is certainly not a household name.
Jones plays for a rather unpopular NFL franchise, he isn't a star player and it's entirely possible that even the most diehard Michigan State Spartans fan has forgotten he existed.
However, the Michigan State product actually enjoyed a very productive 2024 campaign for the Cardinals and should be compensated nice during the offseason because of it.
Jones registered 27 tackles, three sacks and a couple of passes defended in Arizona this year, earning himself a rather respectable 63.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Given how valuable interior defensive linemen are in today's NFL, Jones could find himself landing himself his first significant pay day in free agency.
The 26-year-old spent four seasons at East Lansing between 2017 and 2020 and went undrafted. He then landed with the Tennessee Titans and spent three-and-a-half seasons there before being waived last November, where he went on to sign with the Cardinals.
Arizona then released Jones heading into the 2024 campaign, where he went on to join the Miami Dolphins practice squad. The Cardinals would proceed to sign him away from the Dolphins in late September, and from that point on, he established a legitimate role in the desert.
Jones may have only played in 34 percent of Arizona's defensive snaps this year, but there was no doubting his impact when he was on the field.
It stands to reason that the Michigan State product could land a multi-year deal on the open market, a he could be viewed as an ascending player, especially given his young age.
Across his four seasons with the Spartans, Jones accumulated 78 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He may not get the recognition of other ex-Michigan State stars like Jayden Reed, but that doesn't negate his performance.
The Evanston, Il. native definitely appeared to find a home with the Cardinals in 2024, so Arizona may be interested in re-signing him.
But there is no doubt that Jones should test the free-agent market given the amount of importance that is placed on solid defensive linemen.
There is no reason why Jones couldn't become a part of a defensive line rotation on a serious contender.
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Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.