20/20: Ronald Jones

Noah Ballweg Posted On February 26, 2018

Welcome to the 20/20 series. As part of our continued Dynasty Scouts coverage and in preparation for the NFL Combine, we will be profiling 20 of the top incoming rookies of the class of 2018 by giving you 20 facts you must know.

1.) Player Name – Ronald Jones

2.) College – USC

3.) Height/Weight – 6’0”, 210 lbs

4.) Birth date – August third, 1997 (20)

5.) Class – Junior

6.) Basic college stats – As a true freshman, Jones rushed for an impressive 987 yards on 153 attempts. He scored nine touchdowns as the third-string back. Taking over the starting role his sophomore season, he rushed for 1,082 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. In his final season at USC, Jones scored 20 touchdowns, rushing for 1,550 yards in the process. Final stat line: 3,619 yards, 6.1 average, 39 touchdowns.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

7.) NFL Draft round projection – With the running back position loaded with talent in this rookie class, Jones is expected to be the fourth back selected. This will likely drop him into the mid-second or early third round of the NFL Draft.

8.) Current NFL comparison – Jamaal Charles. Jones possesses the elite speed we saw Charles shred NFL defenses with for years. He has a tremendous ability to run downhill while staying upright on many of his runs through the heart of a defense. Similar to Charles, he can turn the tide of a game with one play both on the ground and through the air.

9.) Best possible destination – Oakland Raiders. With Marshawn Lynch expected to retire after the 2018 season, Jones would get plenty of opportunities to spell the veteran in his rookie season. He could get some third-down work and eventually take over the starting role as the season progresses. DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard have proven quite ineffective over the years. Jones could be exactly what this young offense needs to put them atop the AFC once again.

10.) Worst possible destination – He has the ability to make an immediate impact on the field wherever he lands. It is hard to look at any roster and imagine a poor outcome for his career, as any NFL team would be happy to land him. I think being stuck in the backfields of the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints would be scenarios that would impede his ability to produce immediately.

11.) Best current skill – Straight-line speed. This will be on full display at the NFL Combine in a few days and will give scouts a true picture of just how fast this man will be at the professional level. He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash in high school. With added quickness and power; we may just see him in the 4.40 range. Jones takes great angles when bursting into the second levels of defenses, which allows his speed to outlast the opposing safeties.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – Strength/tackle breaking. Jones has done a terrific job preparing his frame for the professional level. He has added over 20 pounds since arriving at USC, which is one of the key reasons for his success. Many doubters pointed to his size as the one thing that would withhold Jones from being an every-down running back. Despite his elusiveness, he struggled to shake off would be tacklers due to a lack of strength. He will need to continue to develop his frame and increase his overall strength to avoid being knocked down after one hit.

13.) Past/current rookie ADP – Jones holds an ADP of 6.20 in DLF’s February Rookie Mock Drafts. He was drafted as high as fourth and as low as tenth. He surprisingly ranks higher than Nick Chubb, but will most likely not surpass those above him: Saquon Barkley, Derrius Guice, and Sony Michel.

14.) Projected dynasty value – Jones will exceed expectations at the professional level starting at the NFL Combine. He has put in a tremendous amount of work to polish his craft and is ready to shine for dynasty owners. The league now covets flashy backs that can change the pace of the game with one play, and Jones is one of those players coming into the draft. Expect him to find an increased workload throughout his career, both on the ground and specifically through the air. If utilized correctly, he could see his longevity outlast most running backs in this class.

15.) Next level defense – In 2017, Jones was matched against five top-50 defenses, two of which were in the Pac-12 Conference. In the games against non-conference opponents (Notre Dame, Texas, Ohio State), Jones was held largely in check by the sound schemes and tackling of opposing defenders. He rushed for less than 65 yards in all three games, managing only one touchdown while averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. At the professional level, Jones will have to prove his talent against loaded defenses flying across the field to limit his big-play ability.

16.) 20/20 vision – Aside from improving his physical frame, one of Jones’ biggest weaknesses from watching the game film is his lack of patience in the backfield. He showed a lack of pre-snap awareness multiple times this season, missing key blitz pickups and running lanes, which limited the USC offense at times. This restricts Jones’ expected usage on third downs, and could be a growing pain fans and owners will have to endure.

17.) Durability is everything – Jones led the Trojans in rushing all three seasons since his freshman year. Despite being a second and third option his first two seasons, he hammered home his opportunities until the starting job was his. As his counterparts went down with various injuries, Jones proved to be an extremely durable back – propelling him into the position he is now in. He has only missed one game in his collegiate career, something quite surprising for a back of his size and run style. If he can continue this trend at the professional level, he should earn plenty of reps, no matter where he sits on the depth chart.

18.) Remember the name? – Edgerrin James. Ring a bell anyone? Yes, the 13th-leading rusher in NFL history. While Jones’ speed and elusiveness mimics that of Jamaal Charles and Devonta Freeman, Edgerrin James is the closest comparison in terms of overall run style and size. Take a look at the two players break free on big runs. Notice their quickness through the hole and their downhill running form with their upper torso leaned forward as they gain momentum.

While I don’t foresee Jones obtaining the natural vision and power that Edgerrin James had, it will be interesting to watch Jones progress in his NFL career as a stronger runner. Who knows? We could be looking at a top-15 career rusher.

19.) Jones’ analysis – In an interview with Full Press Coverage, Jones mentioned that he does not just only spend hours watching film of himself. He likes to watch film of NFL star running backs such as Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley, and Le’Veon Bell to find areas of comparison and differences in his own game. In this analysis, Jones admitted that he thinks the biggest discrepancy in his game is in the pass catching and pass-blocking department. If he can simply become rounded in these areas, Jones has the talent to become an every-down back like the aforementioned players above.

20.) Tennessee two-headed monster? – As was mentioned prior, one of the best situations that Jones could land in would be an offense with an already established power running back. This would allow Jones to offset the offensive tempo, and catch defenses off-guard with his playmaking ability. In his most recent mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Tennessee Titans bolstering their offense by combing workhorse running back Derrick Henry with Jones. While it is difficult to see the Titans spending a high draft pick on a position they are strong in, the duo would be fun to watch to say the least.

[/am4show]