The 2020 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is Houston’s Josh Jones 2020 NFL Draft profile.

Background

Position: Offensive Tackle

Size: 6-foot-5, 319 pounds

Class: Redshirt Senior

2019 stats: Second-Team All-American Conference

After originally committing to Oklahoma State, Jones flipped his college choice to Houston. The three-star prospect took some time to get to where he is now, but he is currently one of the best offensive tackles in the draft class.

Jones sat out his first season at Houston, but he started as a redshirt freshman in 2016. He started all games at left tackle with the team finishing with nine wins. His role stayed the same, but he was only able to start 10 games as a sophomore. The team won seven games in 2017. For the 2018 season, Jones started every game once again and the team went 8-5. This year, Jones wasn’t able to start every game, but he was a second-team all-conference selection. Houston won just four games his last season on campus.

While he didn’t start as a heralded recruit, Jones has worked his way into being a solid offensive tackle. He is in contention to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Jones is a really good athlete for his size. His ability to get off the line quickly is good and he can move to the second level on a consistent basis. He is also adept at pulling when asked to do so. Jones also has decent bend and flexibility, which should help him against athletic pass rushers in the pros.

His strength, especially given his athleticism, is very impressive. He is able to move bodies in the running game, as he creates good momentum. Jones also has the strength to combat power pass rushers and to overwhelm speed rushers. His combination of athleticism and power will give NFL coaches a lot to work with and mold.

He is a solid pass blocker and is capable of being the blindside blocker at the NFL level. His quick footspeed helps in this regard as it is hard for pass rushers to get around the edge. Jones didn’t allow many pressures in college. While he’ll need some work in the area in the pros, he is at a good starting point.

Weaknesses

Jones has a hard time with the mental aspect of playing the tackle position. He can be slow to pick up blitzes and can be beaten by stunts and twists. Complex defenses who use a variety of blitzes could get a lot of quarterback pressures on Jones early in his career.

His technique will also need to improve at the next level. He has decently powerful hands, but he needs to learn to strike with better timing and placement. His footwork also gets sloppy and an NFL coach will want to fix it to make him a better pass blocker.

On some plays, Jones plays very hard, but on others, it looks like he isn’t totally engaged. His motor can run hot and cold. If he can play like he does on good plays all the time, NFL teams will love his effort, but his motor has to be consistent.

Projected Draft Range: First Round Pick-Second Round Pick

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