Robert Jones NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Miami Dolphins OL

HEIGHT: 6'4 1/4"

WEIGHT: 307

POSITIVES

—Long limbs with a strapping, thick build, barrel chest, iron head and plenty of sand.

—Smooth footwork in his vertical set with impressive discipline to keep his hips square against rushers setting up their moves using inside stutters and hesitations.

—Squares up defenders with jarring force on contact and clamping grip strength.

—Plays with a nasty, tone-setting demeanor.

—Stout anchor to keep the integrity of the pocket intact.

—Caves in adjacent defenders on deuce and angle-drive blocks with heavy hands and powerful hips.

—Put on a show against UTSA in 2020.

NEGATIVES

—Adequate lateral quickness to mirror moves across his face, shrinking his margin for error in getting to his set points and landmarks.

—Operates from a very wide stance that hinders his ability to create space and gain immediate ground at the snap.

—Used a backpedal pass set to gain depth that will need to be axed from his game at the next level.

—Needs to shore up his aiming points on frontside kick-out blocks to avoid overshooting his target, lunging and leaning into contact.

2020 STATISTICS

—Eight game appearances with seven starts at right tackle.

NOTES

—20 career game appearances with 18 starts at right tackle.

—Invited and participated in the 2021 Senior Bowl.

—No-star recruit out of high school with only eight games of varsity film after starting his football career as a sophomore.

—Attended Highland Community College in Kansas for two years before joining Middle Tennessee.

—Turned 22 years old in January.

OVERALL

Jones is a relatively inexperienced player who didn’t start playing football until midway through his high school career and went virtually unrecruited before a two-year stint at Highland Community College in Kansas. Jones went on to start 18 games at Middle Tennessee State at right tackle in offensive coordinator Tony Franklin’s Air Raid, zone-based running scheme.

Jones has a long-limbed frame with a burly, thick build throughout his chest, core and glutes. He is a natural people-mover in the run game with the hips, core strength, and heavy handiness to deliver jolting power at the point of attack and a finisher’s mentality to bury his opponent.

He shows smooth footwork in his vertical set with a sturdy anchor to maintain the integrity of the pocket. Jones’ lateral quickness is adequate at best, and he needs more refinement to his stance, aiming points and use of hands but has the foundation of a longtime plus starter at guard without many bad habits to hinder his development.

GRADE: 7.3/10 (Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 115/300

POSITION RANK: IOL17

PRO COMPARISON: Laken Tomlinson

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn