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Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
6'0, 200, 4.50
Kyle Allen, 2/19/08
Strengths: An electric back that runs and plays faster than he
times. Extremely dynamic and shows great moves when he gets in the open
field. Sets up his blocks well. Hard to catch once he gets going. Great
kick returner and could be a game changer at that position at the next
level. Has tremendous upside, because of the fact that he wasn’t “the
guy” in college.
Weaknesses:
May be too light for the NFL. Durability is in question, because
he never got that many touches. His ability to run between the tackles
is doubted. May be more of a raw athlete than a running back. May
not be able to carry the workload as well as others. Like his
counterpart from Arkansas, may also run a bit too high.
Projected
Round: 1st
Jared Donnelly, 1/22/08. I
truly think that Jones is the best pure back in this
draft. He doesn’t run as straight up and
down as McFadden and that allows hi to gain a lot of yardage after
contact. His versatility in the passing
game may come into question pre-draft, however, there will be plenty of
opportunities to dispute that in workouts and testing. Jones is
stronger than
he gets credit for and I think that is an important attribute to have
as a
back. Jones averaged an astounding 8.7 yards per carry and also scored
11
touchdowns. Numbers like that do not often get ignored as much as they
have
been in Jones’ case. Also, he can help in the return game, which is
going to be
a big help for teams that need a playmaker. While he may not be the
playmaker
that teammate McFadden is, his numbers are eye-popping.
It
seems odd, but in a
lot of ways, I liken this to Reggie Bush’s situation coming into the
NFL. A lot
of notable experts questioned Bush’s ability to be an every down back
and thought
that in terms of a pure runner, LenDale White was a better option.
Jones is not
in the mold of White, but in terms of a traditional running game in the
NFL, he
projects as a much more viable option that his teammate does. There is
a
precedence for this in today’s NFL. Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams
were
once at the center of this argument coming out of Auburn
and it is inarguable that Brown has been the better back. Not carrying
it as
much, but still being as effective as McFadden may lead to more
durability as
an NFL back long term. Less punishment in NCAA means more carries as an
NFL
feature back over time. Right now I have him to Houston
but do not be surprised if he moves up 5-8 spots between now and April
26.
by Imran Tahir, 1/15/08. Felix
Jones will follow his teammate, Junior RB Darren McFadden, out of
Fayetteville and into the 2008 Draft. The 6’0,” 205 lb. Jones has been
very productive over his 3-year collegiate career despite surrendering
the majority of his team’s rushing attempts to McFadden. In both 2006
and 2007, Jones recorded over 1,160 yards rushing while averaging a
very impressive 7.6 yards/carry and 8.7 yards/carry in each respective
season. Furthermore, Jones nearly doubled his rushing TD total in 2007
(11) from that in 2006 (6), while also increasing his total receiving
yardage, and maintaining his characteristic success on special teams in
the return game. Jones’ most impressive performances this past season
include a 12 carry, 133 yard output against Kentucky, 166 yards on 13
carries to go along with 3 TD’s against South Carolina, and a 9 carry,
85 yard performance at LSU. While securing the football is an area
which Jones could improve on, the Razorback rusher’s versatility and
open-field speed give him a good chance to be chosen as high as the tag
end of Round 1.
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