Scouting Report: Jeff Jones

Thanks for the analysis. The best part of your breakdown IMO, you take off the rose colored glasses. You're weaknesses section extend beyond "Needs improved pad level" or "needs to grow."

A lot of people take that the wrong way. But it's just being a realist. People have flaws, but it doesn't mean you don't want them on your team.

Anyways, my comparison would be a taller Ray Rice. Shifty, but not afraid to try to run thru someone. Not blazing fast, but can get the job done consistently.

That's an understatement. All the hoo-ha about his UA game made it sound like he's Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch combined. He looks OK, made a couple people miss with basic juking, but nothing really stood out to me.

Did not like his hot-dogging on the very last play when he caught the swing pass a few yards short of the goal line and just jogged in.

What game were you watching?  You say Jones was unable to "....make them miss, or run them over......"

Jones had one of the best jukes i have seen in an all-star game, and then it took about 8 guys to tackle him, as he showed excellent strength and determination in gaining about 3/4 extra yards.

Also, practice reports were fairly glowing, so it was not simply an 8/9 touch evaluation.

IMO, the coaches should go after Jones/Malik, and if they miss, move on.  Jones would possibly be the best RB we have immediately when he steps on campus.

Without Johnson getting injured, at least one of them would have burned their redshirt. One he was injured, it was impossible not to burn the second redshirt; they both have tons of potential. The real head-scratcher was how often they were used once their redshirts were burned.

Sanders actually ran behind mostly zone schemes, though a lot of it was OZ and draw plays, so that's not necessarily how it works. You are correct about the one step and go types, but Sanders had that ability too, but in a different way. Sanders had great burst out of his cuts regardless if he was juking or stop-starting or whatever. It's that burst and suddenness, more than patience footwork in confined areas that seperate the two IMO. Sanders is a space player, those players you listed are some level of space players, Jones is more of a confinded area player. But, with those you listed, there are some that could really work in any system. It's more just an optimal thing.

Jones has some wiggle, but not suddenness that fits the zone scheme as well. His footwork is short and choppy, which allows him to juke in his own right, but more juke behind a lead blocker at the next level, IMO. If he can be a patient back, latch on to a blocker in front of him, and allow his footwork to day him through the wash while putting his blockers in good positions, that's how I see Jones being successful at the college level. It won't be because of burst as much as just picking his way through a defense.