Washington Redskins: Why Matt Jones was far more than a failed draft choice
By Desmond Lee
Pre-Draft doubts about Jones
Jones’ story with the Redskins began when the club picked him in the third round of the 2015 draft. His selection was part of a draft board plotted by then GM Scot McCloughan, who earned a reputation as a draft wunderkind by masterminding championship teams in San Francisco and Seattle.
The lure of Jones’ physical endowments were obvious: standing at 6-foot-3, tipping the scales at 230 pounds, and clocking a 4.55, 40 yard dash, Jones was a north-south runner sent from central casting. Smitten with the potential that Jones could provide, McCloughan boldly forecast him as the next generation Marshawn Lynch.
But questions immediately arose when McCloughan used the 95th overall pick on the former University of Florida product. Despite his protoypical size, weight and speed, draft pundits, including NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, could only assign Jones a fifth or sixth round draft grade.
In their view, there were an assortment of limitations with Jones’ skillset and doubts as to his capacity to run the ball as an every-down back. Predictions of these shortfalls ultimately proved to be prescient and would come to haunt the team in spades both early and often.