Ronnie Jones

[Avery]

My rookie draft is next week, where would you rank him in a 0.5 ppr?

Depending on starting lineup requirements, I'd put him after the the top couple of tiers of WRs - Sutton/Ridley/Kirk/Moore and probably Miller too. His poor camp and pre-season is not the death knell for his career, but it is worth moving him down your boards.

[Chwf3rd]

I think it's important to be reminded right now how highly regarded Ronald Jones was during the draft outside of the dark corners of NFL Draft twitter that quote playerprofiler.

Age

One of the youngest RBs in the draft and only turned 21 this month. For comparison, Sony Michel is already 23 and both Nick Chubb and Rashaad Penny will turn 23 before next season.

Production

Incredibly efficient & productive as soon as he stepped on the field for USC and improved every single year.

2015: 153/987/8, 6.5 YPC
2016: 177/1082/12, 6.1 YPC
2017: 261/1550/19, 5.9 YPC

Not only did he show that he can be incredibly efficient/productive with limited touches but also showed that he can handle a reasonably heavy workload (261 carries) while still maintaining awesome efficiency (5.9 YPC).

#1 RB High School Recruit

RoJo was the #1 RB recruit out of high school. Not incredibly important to me but it shows that he's been highly regarded as a player for a long time and he lived up to that ranking at USC. Essentially he's yet to fail to meet expectations thus far in his career.

Pre Draft Rankings

Daniel Jeremiah: RB4, #29 overall
Mike Mayock: RB5
Dane Brugler: RB3, #22 overall
Matt Miller: RB4, #43 overall
Lance Zierlein: RB3, #25 overall
Eric Galko: RB2, #8 overall
Jonah Tuls: RB2, #21 overall

I filtered the experts I used a little bit but those are some of the most respected draft analysts and the point of this is to show that he was very highly regarded as a talent.

Traits

1. Explosion

While known for his long speed, one of RoJo's best traits is his explosiveness through a crease once he sees it.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/MindlessDarkBoubou
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/CarefulWaryGartersnake
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/MeekNaturalBalloonfish

2. Contact Balance/Toughness

My favorite thing about RoJo at USC was his combination of elite speed + short area explosion & phenomenal contact balance and toughness inside.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/AltruisticBlissfulFlee
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/CarefulWaryGartersnake
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/NextLastBarebirdbat

3. Lateral Ability

RoJo displayed good lateral quickness to make the initial defender miss in the hole.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/WeirdGiantKillerwhale
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/MeekNaturalBalloonfish
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/GlamorousRepentantFeline

Obviously using GIFs is very limited, both in that they only showcase highlights and I can only display the ones that other people have made, but these traits consistently show up and is why so many draft analysts and NFL scouts were so high on him coming out.

[fakespike13]

95398E9F-9499-4931-BB26-DB8CFFBD4538.jpeg (121.35 KiB) Viewed 585 times

[MEuRaH]

I think it's important to be reminded right now how highly regarded Ronald Jones was during the draft outside of the dark corners of NFL Draft twitter that quote playerprofiler.

Age

One of the youngest RBs in the draft and only turned 21 this month. For comparison, Sony Michel is already 23 and both Nick Chubb and Rashaad Penny will turn 23 before next season.

Production

Incredibly efficient & productive as soon as he stepped on the field for USC and improved every single year.

2015: 153/987/8, 6.5 YPC
2016: 177/1082/12, 6.1 YPC
2017: 261/1550/19, 5.9 YPC

Not only did he show that he can be incredibly efficient/productive with limited touches but also showed that he can handle a reasonably heavy workload (261 carries) while still maintaining awesome efficiency (5.9 YPC).

#1 RB High School Recruit

RoJo was the #1 RB recruit out of high school. Not incredibly important to me but it shows that he's been highly regarded as a player for a long time and he lived up to that ranking at USC. Essentially he's yet to fail to meet expectations thus far in his career.

Pre Draft Rankings

Daniel Jeremiah: RB4, #29 overall
Mike Mayock: RB5
Dane Brugler: RB3, #22 overall
Matt Miller: RB4, #43 overall
Lance Zierlein: RB3, #25 overall
Eric Galko: RB2, #8 overall
Jonah Tuls: RB2, #21 overall

I filtered the experts I used a little bit but those are some of the most respected draft analysts and the point of this is to show that he was very highly regarded as a talent.

Traits

1. Explosion

While known for his long speed, one of RoJo's best traits is his explosiveness through a crease once he sees it.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/MindlessDarkBoubou
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/CarefulWaryGartersnake
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/MeekNaturalBalloonfish

2. Contact Balance/Toughness

My favorite thing about RoJo at USC was his combination of elite speed + short area explosion & phenomenal contact balance and toughness inside.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/AltruisticBlissfulFlee
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/CarefulWaryGartersnake
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/NextLastBarebirdbat

3. Lateral Ability

RoJo displayed good lateral quickness to make the initial defender miss in the hole.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/WeirdGiantKillerwhale
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/MeekNaturalBalloonfish
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/GlamorousRepentantFeline

None of this really matters. Age? Who cares about age. Is Le'Veon Bell any good? He was awesome his rookie year and he was 21. David Johnson was also good his rookie year and he was 24. Forget age.

#1 HS recruit means squat. Do you know how many #1 HS recruits tank in college or the NFL? TONS! If anything, this could be a negative. He's so good, he doesn't even have to work hard. Everything comes easy.

Predraft rankings are bs. I could care less about guesswork. Those guys are wrong ALL THE TIME.

His production was great. You know who else had highly successful college careers in terms of production? Donnell Pumphrey. Ron Dayne. Those guys were #1 and #2 in all-time rushers in college.

The gifs you posted are mostly designed plays where he got what was given to him.

In Gif 1, he followed the guard.
In Gif 2, he followed the guard.

In Gif 3, it's a power zone where the A-gap is his first read. It was open to start so he heads towards it, only to be thwarted by the lineman who made a great move inside. RoJo correctly jumps outside with a quick shake and gets vertical immediately. This was a fantastic run and is very impressive.

Gif 4 & 5 are repeats of 1 & 2. In Gif 1/4, he managed to get out of a tackle... from a guy who was being blocked and dove from the ground. If anything, it was an excellent play by the defender to slow him down. In Gif 2/5, we're looking at an inside DT (tackle) who tried to bring him down at the shoulders. You wanna give RoJo credit for running through an arm tackle above the waist?

Gif 6, another man power where the linebacker will either fill the A or B gap but not both. RoJo knows this and when he's met at the A gap, he jumpcuts outside. Fine, but not impressive.

Gif 7 is a repeat. He followed the pulling guard and ran fast. oooohhhh...........

Gif 8 is a downblocking zone. He cuts inside, fine. The defender went for the ball rather than the tackle. I mean...... the ball is right there because HE DOESN'T PROTECT IT, so I get it.

Gif 3 is impressive. The rest is average. Dude has been lucky his entire career with fumbles. Are you trying to convince us or yourself that he's any good? I was super low on Penny & RoJo coming into the season. Penny has done the types of things I needed to see in order to change my mind. Bravo Penny (..... and I'm going to hate him as a 49er fan), I was 100% wrong about him. RoJo, on the other hand, is still doing all of the same garbage I saw in college. No change. He's straight trash, and I don't want him.

[Lotto4Life]

#1 HS recruit means squat. Do you know how many #1 HS recruits tank in college or the NFL? TONS! If anything, this could be a negative. He's so good, he doesn't even have to work hard. Everything comes easy.

Bryce Brown single handedly put me into the playoffs one year, so it means everything.

Well, it wasn't single handedly - he had help from Josh Gordon.

[knut45]

Malcolm Brown was the number 1 recruit coming out of high school as well

[MEuRaH]

#1 HS recruit means squat. Do you know how many #1 HS recruits tank in college or the NFL? TONS! If anything, this could be a negative. He's so good, he doesn't even have to work hard. Everything comes easy.

Bryce Brown single handedly put me into the playoffs one year, so it means everything.

Well, it wasn't single handedly - he had help from Josh Gordon.

Which season? 2012? That's where he rushed 564 yards with 4 TDs. Or was it one of his other 4 seasons where he rushed for 300 yards or less in each? His best season put him at RB43, and that's what you're going to use as a positive...

The point about being the #1 HS recruit is that it's not automatic. I've looked it up before so I'm going by memory here, but the majority of #1 HS recruits at the RB position did NOT end up dominating in the pros, let alone make it to the pros. That is a silly trivial fact that's worthless and shouldn't be used in any sort of evaluation.

[FiremanEd]

Pretty sure Lotto’s comment was largely in jest, implied by the second statement regarding Josh Gordon (and the more obvious ‘so it means everything’ statement)...

[MEuRaH]

Pretty sure Lotto’s comment was largely in jest, implied by the second statement regarding Josh Gordon (and the more obvious ‘so it means everything’ statement)...

I thought maybe, but I wanted to dispel the notion that Bryce Brown had anything to do at all with his or any teams' success. People don't need to be reading that and even slightly believing in that BB was anything special.

[joeya2001]

Pretty sure Lotto’s comment was largely in jest, implied by the second statement regarding Josh Gordon (and the more obvious ‘so it means everything’ statement)...

I thought maybe, but I wanted to dispel the notion that Bryce Brown had anything to do at all with his or any teams' success. People don't need to be reading that and even slightly believing in that BB was anything special.

I don't think we know this for a fact, maybe he started him a game that was the determining factor for a win?

[Ice]

I think it's important to be reminded right now how highly regarded Ronald Jones was during the draft outside of the dark corners of NFL Draft twitter that quote playerprofiler.

I think what is important to reminded of right now is in 12 carries in the preseason I think he has 11 yards.

Don't see this player as one who is close to starting. That is concerning for a RB entering the league. Time will tell but don't think he is very good. Can't run to his left IMO given he always wants to cut back to his right.

[joeya2001]

I think we should all know Al Bundy scored 4 Tds in the championship game including scoring the game winning touchdown to help secure the victory.

[Dynasty DeLorean]

Can't run to his left

[Krypto_King]

Which site had him #1? 247 is a composite, a popularity contest, that doesn't count as someone saying he's #1.

He is small. He can't cut, he can't catch and he doesn't run a 4.3 to make up for these.

[Defender]

My rookie draft is next week, where would you rank him in a 0.5 ppr?

1.12 is the soonest you should consider him. But I wouldn’t touch him.