When it comes to Titan rookies, most of the attention has been bestowed upon the potential of electrifying RB Chris Johnson. CJ didn’t let any of us down as he fueled the high expectations surrounding him with his breathtaking 66 yard touchdown scamper against the Rams.
As great as that one particular play was, I was just as impressed with the performance of Titan second round draft pick Jason Jones, whose constant presence in the Rams’ backfield was a more than welcome sight.
Jones is a guy that was discussed on this site prior to being drafted by the Titans. I selected him in the second round of my Titans’ mock draft. Tom also pegged Jones as a guy the Titans should go after in his mock draft selections.
What intrigued me the most when doing some research on Jones was his work-ethic and athletic ability. Jason was known more for his basketball skills during his high school days, averaging around 24 points per game during his senior year. He was described by his coaches as being a very coachable player with a great attitude and a great motor.
Similar to other NFL players who were overlooked by general managers because they didn’t attend Miami or USC, Jones flew under the radar as a result of playing ball at a smaller school. He was a dominating defensive tackle at Eastern Michigan, despite weighing only 270 pounds. The Titans drafted him with the belief that he could contribute at defensive end as well as the DT position.
Filling in for Tony Brown, Jones showed that he could be just as effective playing DT on the NFL level, despite his lack of girth. Lined up next to Albert Haynesworth, Jones was able to use his athletic ability and quickness to take advantage of one-on-one matchups.
Apparently, Haynesworth has been very impressed with the rookie DE/DT. In The Tennessean, Albert was very complimentary of Jason’s ability:
“Including my rookie year, I’ve never seen a rookie that far along…if he keeps working like he is, he’s going to be really, really good.“
Even if Tony Brown is starting ahead of Jones when the regular season opens, Jason should provide quality depth on a Titan defensive line that lost two contributors (Odom, LaBoy) and one non-contributor (Randy Starks) to free agency this year.
LP Field was the host of two coming out parties last weekend. Like many of you, I’m pumped about the potential of both Johnson and Jones as they attempt to become factors during their rookie seasons.
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