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Travis Jones NFL Draft Profile
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Travis Jones Scouting ReportJones’ strength is also apparent in his technical approach to the game. He has an incredibly powerful punch that allows him to shock offensive linemen at the point of attack. There are multiple examples on film of him snapping back an offensive lineman with a well-timed and powerful blow. He can punch, extend, and manipulate his opponent impressively and with unerring regularity. The Connecticut defensive tackle doesn’t just win with power alone, however. He has showcased impressively fast hand speed to disengage from blockers easily. He can use that speed and length to knife through double-teams and make a play on the ball carrier. Travis showcases intelligence and awareness to locate running backs amidst traffic. He does his best work against the ground game, routinely finding a way to bring the ball carrier down at or behind the line of scrimmage. As a tackler, he utilizes his upper body strength to halt forward progression and can be seen hauling his man to the ground. Jones also creates opportunities for his teammates by regularly attracting double-teams (and sometimes triple-teams). Yet, he’s capable of defeating them to wreak havoc himself. He’s a physical menace who brings an element of versatility with the ability to play anywhere from the nose tackle to 3-tech at the next level. In addition to his on-field profile, the Connecticut defensive tackle also possesses high character as a member of the program’s leadership council. |
Areas for ImprovementJones is a far better run defender than he is a pass rusher. Although he registered 4.5 sacks this season, he doesn’t get to the quarterback with regularity. This is a result of a lack of explosion. While Jones possesses good lateral athleticism and speed for his size, he doesn’t blow past linemen with his first step. Jones doesn’t possess much in terms of a pass-rush plan. Jones has a potent pull rush in his armory, and he showcases the ability to win with a speed rush against less athletic tackles. However, to be considered a three-down threat at the NFL level, he needs to develop more pass-rush moves (and the ability to combine them as counters). Jones needs to ensure this is more consistent. In several instances during the games studied, playing too high meant that he couldn’t win the battle at the point of attack. The low man wins in the trenches, and the Connecticut defensive tackle needs to ensure he maintains that approach.
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Travis Jones Career at SchoolJones arrived at Connecticut and immediately impacted the defensive tackle position. He’d play 12 games, making 10 starts as a true freshman. His size made him the perfect fit at nose tackle, a burly roadblock at the heart of the defensive line. On his debut against UCF, Jones logged 7 tackles. The Connecticut defensive tackle would add the first tackle for loss of his career against Syracuse, one of the teams that had pursued him out of Wilbur Cross. He’d end the season with an outstanding performance against East Carolina, tallying a career-best 10 tackles that included 2 tackles for loss. Jones tallied 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack in his freshman season. Despite losing some of his bulk for his sophomore season, the Connecticut defensive tackle continued to be disruptive. With impressive performances against USF, UMass, and Cincinnati, he ended the season with 6 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. For as disruptive as Jones was in 2019, the following college football season proved even more disrupted. While the global pandemic caused chaos and confusion for conferences all over the country, Connecticut opted not to play the season at all. Away from the football field for a year, Jones worked hard on his fitness and physique. The UConn DT returned ready to work in a more muscular version of himself, and he took a studious approach to the game. “He loves playing the game of football,” coach Randy Edsall told the CT Post before the 2021 season. “He loves the work that goes with that. All this time we’ve had, he’s become even more a student of the game. Here’s a guy that was just big, a raw guy that was see ball, get ball. Now, you see him really understand how it all works as a defensive lineman.” The result was a career year with the eyes of NFL scouts upon him. He racked up 9 tackles, including 2 for loss and a sack, against Holy Cross. Against an impressive Purdue program, he registered a sack and a tackle for loss. In seven games, he tallied at least half a tackle for loss, and in five games, he had at least half a sack. His performances earned him a 2022 Senior Bowl invite, which will serve as the final transition from bulky high school kid to genuine 2022 NFL Draft prospect for Connecticut defensive tackle Jones. |
Travis Jones NFL Draft Player ProfileThe football journey can often be defined by transition and transformation. University of Connecticut DT Travis Jones has transitioned to the position and transformed his body on his path to the 2022 NFL Draft. The result? A promising and powerful defensive lineman who has the potential to be a Day 2 pick next April. Jones attracted college attention from Power Five programs. Boston College, Syracuse, and Rutgers all extended offers to the three-star, 92nd-ranked guard. The powerful playmaker committed to Rutgers in June of 2017 but rescinded his pledge within the space of a day. Jones further demonstrated his potency on the defensive line. He added 61 tackles and 7 sacks to his high school résumé, earning All-State honors once more. In his final season with Wilbur Cross, he was also a first-team Walter Camp All-Connecticut honoree.
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