Travis Jones – Defensive Tackle – 21 – Junior – Connecticut
Cut : 1m96
Weight : 151kg
Estimated draft position: Top 50
Stats 2021 (11 games): 48 tackles including 7.5 for losses, 4.5 sacks
NFL Comparison: John Jenkins
Strong points
– Power / Physical scale
– Race defense
– Violent hands
–Leadership
– Endurance
– Soccer IQ
If it takes a nose tackle, here’s a customer. A physical monster, Jones is a mountain with strong hands and long arms. Logically, its physical dimensions attract the eye and offer a nice projection in the NFL. But his qualities are not only physical, he is also a leader with a superior football IQ. Intelligent, he makes others better and had the heavy responsibility of magnifying a group that was very limited in talent.
What also impresses about Jones is his stamina. Unlike many players of his size, his intensity is the same at the start and end of the match. He is therefore a force on three attempts and this reliability will play for him in the draft. His variety of movements is interesting, and he is equally comfortable on right and left sequences, which is valuable for a Nose Tackle. Physicality, leadership, progression, he ticks all the boxes and his above average football IQ only adds to his appeal.
Weak points
– Technical maturity
– Specialist
If the choice of Uconn proved to be profitable for him, Jones pays him a little at the level of development on the technical level. Physically dominant, he does not yet know how to use all these assets to the maximum. Too often out of balance, he can play too high or too low and does not always adapt to his opponent. The good news: it’s something that can be worked on with a good trainer. The bad: it can limit its impact in the first year.
While versatility is the norm in the NFL, Jones seems to be only destined to be a technical 0 or 1. It’s a strength and a weakness, depending on how you look at it. But his contribution seems to be able to express himself especially in a 3-4 defense, where he will have the charge of two “Gaps” than in a 4-3. And that eliminates a good portion of NFL teams. It is therefore a phenomenon, but it will not suit everyone.
The stat
5 pressures against Clemson (Week 9)
When it came to choosing a university, Travis Jones preferred to stay close to home, rather than join Boston College or Rutgers. If the adversity is not huge with Uconn, Jones had the good idea to show himself in the big games. Already impacting against Purdue, he made one of his best matches against Clemson with 5 pressures. The icing on the cake, he confirmed at the Senior Bowl that he can fight as equals against players from the “big” universities.
Possible destinations
Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers
While Jones has a nose tackle profile at 3-4, the modern NFL is seeing more and more teams using a “big” 0/1 technique at 4-3. Chicago appears to be headed for a system change, but seeing Eberflus using Jones like he used Deforest Buckner is enticing. Pittsburgh also makes sense, in an environment conducive to the development of young defenders.
