Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
The first thing that’s obvious to me is that Keim is really getting his money’s worth from selling his soul to the Devil. I guess I slipped into a pattern of religious metaphors because what has happened has stunned me. I would have put the chance of Simmons falling to the Cards at 10%. After pick 2, every subsequent team could have used him. Several teams were willing to trade their pick, but no team stepped up to grab him. There will be years of regret.
Then along came Jones. Being honest I didn’t pay much attention until the middle of round 2. Someone posted elsewhere they did the same thing. Finally I got curious as to who was left. I was surprised but not shocked to see Cleveland and Jones still on the board. I recalled having advocated a round 1 trade if Simmons were gone. My target was Cleveland with Jones being the fallback. I quickly did the math that told me more than 20 people would have to pass on them to get to the Cards. Later my heart sank when Cleveland was ripped from the board.
Social distancing has already made time slow to a surreal level but I swear it now seemed to come to a near total halt. As the picks crawled across the CBS Draft-tracker screen I noticed their teams’ needs pop ups indicated everyone seemed to need OL help. Nonetheless pick by pick passed and Jones remained atop the Best Available list. When round 3 began I posted, “move up to get Jones.” However, just like in round 1, Jones slid to the Cards. So what did they get?
In Jones they got a solid athlete who is familiar with the traditional tackle role in an Air Raid offense. He is especially adept at pass blocking, using his outstanding agility to maximum effect. He is balanced when on the move displaying excellent hip flexibility. Brugler labeled him, “comfortable climbing, cutting and engaging at the second level.” He mirrors effectively using his hands, including a solid punch, to frustrate rushers. Jones allowed only 1 sack his senior season and no QB hits. SI noted, “Pro Football Focus gave him a 93.2 grade for his phenomenal season, the highest grade ever given to a collegiate offensive tackle.” He does lack big time core power which may present some issues when anchoring in the NFL against bull rushers.
His run blocking is not as strong as his pass blocking primarily because of this lack of core strength. He typically doesn’t maul defenders, but he does engage them aggressively. He needs training on advanced technique like hand placement. He often lunges, getting himself off balance. Part of the issue is taking bad routes to targets. Incredibly he had to play for 5 different line coaches in his 4 years at Houston. He has a right to be confused. Still Jones showed significant improvement in his skills culminating in an outstanding senior year. I’m sure this excites Cardinal coaches as he clearly has a huge upside. An example of potential improvement is his lack of leveraged positioning. Once he learns how to better use leverage his effectiveness will take a major step forward. He’s simply blocking the hard way. It’s a tribute to his tenacity he is as effective as he is.
Perhaps Sports Illustrated summed him up best, “Jones is very much a raw prospect from a technique standpoint, but his sheer ability alone should make him a serviceable starter from Day 1. If a coaching staff can refine his technique and teach him the nuances of the position, then his ceiling is through the roof. Jones’ most likely outcome is being a solid starter for years to come, but he could be a perennial Pro Bowler if everything breaks right.”
Then along came Jones. Being honest I didn’t pay much attention until the middle of round 2. Someone posted elsewhere they did the same thing. Finally I got curious as to who was left. I was surprised but not shocked to see Cleveland and Jones still on the board. I recalled having advocated a round 1 trade if Simmons were gone. My target was Cleveland with Jones being the fallback. I quickly did the math that told me more than 20 people would have to pass on them to get to the Cards. Later my heart sank when Cleveland was ripped from the board.
Social distancing has already made time slow to a surreal level but I swear it now seemed to come to a near total halt. As the picks crawled across the CBS Draft-tracker screen I noticed their teams’ needs pop ups indicated everyone seemed to need OL help. Nonetheless pick by pick passed and Jones remained atop the Best Available list. When round 3 began I posted, “move up to get Jones.” However, just like in round 1, Jones slid to the Cards. So what did they get?
In Jones they got a solid athlete who is familiar with the traditional tackle role in an Air Raid offense. He is especially adept at pass blocking, using his outstanding agility to maximum effect. He is balanced when on the move displaying excellent hip flexibility. Brugler labeled him, “comfortable climbing, cutting and engaging at the second level.” He mirrors effectively using his hands, including a solid punch, to frustrate rushers. Jones allowed only 1 sack his senior season and no QB hits. SI noted, “Pro Football Focus gave him a 93.2 grade for his phenomenal season, the highest grade ever given to a collegiate offensive tackle.” He does lack big time core power which may present some issues when anchoring in the NFL against bull rushers.
His run blocking is not as strong as his pass blocking primarily because of this lack of core strength. He typically doesn’t maul defenders, but he does engage them aggressively. He needs training on advanced technique like hand placement. He often lunges, getting himself off balance. Part of the issue is taking bad routes to targets. Incredibly he had to play for 5 different line coaches in his 4 years at Houston. He has a right to be confused. Still Jones showed significant improvement in his skills culminating in an outstanding senior year. I’m sure this excites Cardinal coaches as he clearly has a huge upside. An example of potential improvement is his lack of leveraged positioning. Once he learns how to better use leverage his effectiveness will take a major step forward. He’s simply blocking the hard way. It’s a tribute to his tenacity he is as effective as he is.
Perhaps Sports Illustrated summed him up best, “Jones is very much a raw prospect from a technique standpoint, but his sheer ability alone should make him a serviceable starter from Day 1. If a coaching staff can refine his technique and teach him the nuances of the position, then his ceiling is through the roof. Jones’ most likely outcome is being a solid starter for years to come, but he could be a perennial Pro Bowler if everything breaks right.”
