Tim Jones – Senior – Wide Receiver, Southern Mississippi
Pros: Jones has great hands, he is aggressive in contested catches and has the athleticism to come over the top of a defender. Good quick twitch athlete who is able to take off on YAC and is utilized in an array of different routes. He has good agility and shows it by stopping on a dime and turns up field on hitch routes and screens. He shows good vision to take each defender into account and plans his YAC running in an instant. Shows a versatile route tree and is a capable deep threat with some good top speed. He shows good balance and acceleration and has demonstrated some excellent production.
Cons: Jones lacks truly elite athleticism and has not played against a high level of competition with any great consistency. He has been injured in 2020 with an ‘undisclosed injury’ which is concerning while going through his senior season amidst some games postponed by Covid. He has great hands but has had some key drops, he lacks consistency in getting off the line in press and being able to gain consistent separation in press man. He will need to showcase some better playing strength and use of hands off the line to get separation against pro level corners.
Summary: Tim Jones is a prospect I am really high on, he has amazing production throughout his time at Southern Miss, last year going close to 1000 yards playing across from Quez Watkins, who went in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL draft. He has good size to fit into a slot role or in the Z receiver position. He makes up for his lack of height with a springy jump and solid hands to make contested catches down the sideline. Does well to identify zone coverage and to find a hole to sit down in when running his routes. Is a true ‘go-to’ receiver and is used in a variety of different ways and has taken to being the top option very well. Where he is let down is from a lack of elite athleticism, he can compete enough to make a roster but he may not shine through as a true number one guy. He has experienced some issues with injuries in 2020 already and depending on the extent may also affect his stock. I think he may add some special teams value on a hands team on onside kicks or returning punts.
Projection: 6th Round
Pro Comparison: Zay Jones
