5. Zay Jones, wide receiver, East Carolina
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A guy most average fans hadn’t heard of before the Senior Bowl or combine, Jones has since opened up some eyes in a number of ways.
One of the big questions coming into the pre-draft process was what kind of impact the small-school receiver could have at the pro level. He answered at least some of them with flying colors during his week practicing for the Senior Bowl, a game in which he showed off his signature hands in spectacular style.
He also measured up as an NFL-sized receiver (6-foot-2, 201 pounds), ran a 4.45-second 40, showed explosion in his jumps and then wowed during the on-field portion of the combine workouts in Indy.
In particular, his 40 time stood out because there were questions about his speed heading into those workouts.
Of course, fans of East Carolina didn’t need to see all that to know Jones is a special player. He is the all-time FBS leader in terms of receptions (399) and knows what to do with the ball once it’s in his hands. In his four-year career with the Pirates, Jones hauled in 23 touchdowns and went for 4,279 yards.
He’s a football-gobbling machine who often comes down with passes nobody else would have a chance at making.