College Football is the clear and only pipeline to the NFL. It is filled with thousands of talented young men that dream of playing at the next level. Only 1.5% of those players become pro football players. Every draft has positions that are deeper than others, some believe this is a quarterback class and others believe it is a running back class. Here is my scouting report!!
Ronald Jones, RB, USC
Height-Weight: 6’0 200 lbs
Film reviewed: Stanford (17), Texas (17), UCLA (17)
The Good: The Trojan running back has a mixture of speed, vision, and toughness. He is a one cut/zone runner, that is dangerous once he cuts and gets to the second level. Jones is very elusive in the open field and a tough guy to bring down. Utilizing his mixture of side steps, jukes, and spins, he knows how to make defenders look foolish. He improved this season as a between the tackle runner, displaying more strength and toughness. Jones is a capable receiver out of the backfield with solid hands. He is a homerun hitter that would scare a defense from anywhere on the field.
The Bad: Although he is a one cut back, he tends to stretch runs too far outside. That opens him to tackles for loss in the backfield. He is not elite in the pass protection department. Jones will allow the defender into his pads & space, instead of meeting them in the hole. I would like to see more effort on his routes coming out of the backfield. At times, he did not explode into his route and it came off lackadaisical. Ronald weight is not a problem, but his build raises some questions. His slender build may not hold up against the physical nature of the NFL.
Pro Comparison: Jamal Charles/Melvin Gordon
Round 2-3: Unlike Guice and Barkley, Jones is more of a day two player. He has a skillset and style of play matches the new schemes in the league. He is a versatile weapon that can make plays on the ground and through the air. If he can stay healthy he has the potential to be every down back.
Damian Parson is an Analyst for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook and Follow/Like us on Facebook or Twitter.
