Travis Jones NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for UConn DL
HEIGHT: 6'4 3/8"
WEIGHT: 325
HAND: 10 1/4"
ARM: 34 1/4"
WINGSPAN: 6'9 1/2"
40-YARD DASH: 4.92
3-CONE: 7.33
SHUTTLE: 4.58
VERTICAL: 28.5"
BROAD: 9'2"
POSITIVES
— Very good initial punch. Consistent, powerful strike.
— Great extension and upper-body strength after engaging. Fires arms out with force and takes control of the block.
— Good lower-body strength and anchor. Does well to play low and with a stable base.
— Can handle double-teams.
— Good at playing with eyes on the backfield. Crosses face against blocks effectively.
— Flashes the ability to adjust and backdoor blocks.
— Functional range after shedding blocks. Can help make tackles in the hole.
— Good leg drive and energy as a pass-rusher. Pushes the pocket.
NEGATIVES
— Inconsistent feel for when he's getting double-teamed. Can be too late to see it and get knocked out of his gap.
— Below-average first step. Does not fly off the ball upfield.
— Sometimes gets too high on pass-rushing reps and stalls out.
— Below-average quickness and speed. Not very capable of winning laterally as a pass-rusher.
— Pass-rushing plan needs work.
2021 STATISTICS
11 G, 48 TOT, 7.5 TFL, 4.5 SK
NOTES
— Three-year contributor, mostly as a starter.
— UConn did not play the 2020 season amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
— 3-star recruit in 2018.
OVERALL
Travis Jones is one of the better true nose guards in this class. At 6'4" and 333 pounds, he primarily played over or on either side of the center in UConn's defense.
Though his first step lacks juice, Jones starts most reps off well with a strong two-hand strike. His hand placement and initial strength are impressive, as is his ability to shoot his arms through the blocker's chest and take control of the block.
From there, Jones does a good job riding the line of scrimmage with controlled feet and his eyes in the backfield. He knows how to maintain his leverage in his primary gap while also understanding how to cross face into a secondary gap.
As far as double-teams go, Jones can be a mixed bag. He has good lower-body strength and generally succeeds in keeping a firm base under him, but there are too many moments where he is late seeing the second blocker working to him. That leads to him getting caught off guard and knocked off his spot.
Jones will need work as a pass-rusher, though. He flashes effective leg drive and the occasional hand swipe, but he too often goes into pass-rushing reps without a plan, which is a bad combination considering his middling explosiveness off the snap. Jones is only a pocket pusher right now, albeit a quality one when he is on his game.
What Jones lacks in explosiveness and pass-rushing prowess, he makes up for in strength and run-defending skills. Jones can be a true 0-tech in an odd front or a 1-tech in an even front, and he should have few issues seeing the field as a two-down player early on while working to become more dangerous in the passing game.
GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player - 2nd Round)
OVERALL RANK: 50
POSITION RANK: DL6
PRO COMPARISON: Muhammad Wilkerson