Rd 5. 168 Braxton Jones, OT

[The Cooler King]

Big time project, but big potential. Great athletic grades and sound like the type of athlete Poles says he wanted.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/braxton-j ... 2a329c4c5b

[mmmc_35]

Both the 5th rounders and the current 6th have great athletic traits.

[The Cooler King]

Both the 5th rounders and the current 6th have great athletic traits.

Really the whole draft class. Poles definitely subscribes to traits. But has gotten some good production guys too. Just good picks. Only one that is a "consensus" reach is Jones.

[mmmc_35]

Both the 5th rounders and the current 6th have great athletic traits.

Really the whole draft class. Poles definitely subscribes to traits. But has gotten some good production guys too. Just good picks. Only one that is a "consensus" reach is Jones.

Yes he has. I had more hopes for offense early, I like what he is doing. I'm hoping they get austin the wr from Notre dame here we will see how long he stays on the board.

[Bearfacts]

I'm not sure that Jones actually was a reach. Purely as a WR maybe but he's got so many other ways he can score too. When I think about how crucial Hester was to that 2006 Bears team and a guy like Tyreek Hill has been in KC I can also see where Jones fits.

If Getsy plans to bring a similar passing attack with him to the one GB has used a player like Jones running crossing routes and drags or a screen pass can bust a long gainer out of a pass that only travels a few yards forward. Jones big deal is his YAC stats.

[IE]

Jones was a reach in December. Then he changed to not really a reach, as FYI for folks that just didn't keep up in a fast moving world.

[The Cooler King]

Jones was a reach in December. Then he changed to not really a reach, as FYI for folks that just didn't keep up in a fast moving world.

I realize I called Jones a reach in this thread, which is confusing because I was referencing the other Jones.

[IE]

Jones was a reach in December. Then he changed to not really a reach, as FYI for folks that just didn't keep up in a fast moving world.

I realize I called Jones a reach in this thread, which is confusing because I was referencing the other Jones.

Yeah - I know who you were referring to.

[IE]

People have been wanting that long-armed prototype LT and Jones seems like it. Let's see how things work out. I like the pick. I really like the two OT picks to back up the two OT picks from last year. Install the new system and get coaching, and may the best 5 play.

[dplank]

The best thing for me is it appears Pig Simmons days are numbered.

[thunderspirit]

The best thing for me is it appears Pig Simmons days are numbered.

LOL

Scouting reports:
SI.com
Bleacher Report
The Draft Network

https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=21105

UOK EDIT: no bypassing paywalled content

[dave99]

Discussion at about 58

[Bearfacts]

So to be clear the "reach" referred to Velus Jones and not Braxton Jones correct?

As OT go Braxton Jones is worth a 5th round pick. He's never gonna be an All Pro LT but he has the measurables and athletic ability to play at LT and we did need another LT prospect. I would rather have had Zach Tom but the Cheesies got to him first.....damn.

[IE]

So to be clear the "reach" referred to Velus Jones and not Braxton Jones correct?

As OT go Braxton Jones is worth a 5th round pick. He's never gonna be an All Pro LT but he has the measurables and athletic ability to play at LT and we did need another LT prospect. I would rather have had Zach Tom but the Cheesies got to him first.....damn.

Charles Leno was an all-pro LT, was he not? If you mean HOF-er not many are, but many slightly lesser guys have good long careers on really good teams. My point is why the absolute comment? To me, that's just kind of weird in a "too cool to have optimism" sort of way.

[mmmc_35]

I'm super optimistic about jones and thomas. Realistically if one plans out to be a starter it's a success

[dplank]

I wouldn't expect a 5th rounder from the Big Sky conference to start this year (or did you mean down the road starter?). All accounts are he's a rough prospect that'll take time to develop - a theme of the draft IMO. Like the DE we took who was a WR a short time ago and had zero starts at Miami - another long term development project.

Not sure I see the point of the Davenport signing, he won't make the team IMO assuming we keep Jones and Thomas (neither of which would pass through waivers to practice squad IMO).

[wab]

IMO in any other draft, Braxton Jones is probably a 3rd round pick.

The sheer volume of draftable players pushed him down the board.

[Moriarty]

I wouldn't expect a 5th rounder from the Big Sky conference to start this year (or did you mean down the road starter?). All accounts are he's a rough prospect that'll take time to develop - a theme of the draft IMO. Like the DE we took who was a WR a short time ago and had zero starts at Miami - another long term development project.

Not sure I see the point of the Davenport signing, he won't make the team IMO assuming we keep Jones and Thomas (neither of which would pass through waivers to practice squad IMO).

I think the bigger problem with the Davenport signing is the suckage.

Still, I'm betting right now that they keep 9 OL and he's in (with probably Carter to PS), rather than have all 3-4 backups be Day 3 project rookies.

[Bearfacts]

So to be clear the "reach" referred to Velus Jones and not Braxton Jones correct?

As OT go Braxton Jones is worth a 5th round pick. He's never gonna be an All Pro LT but he has the measurables and athletic ability to play at LT and we did need another LT prospect. I would rather have had Zach Tom but the Cheesies got to him first.....damn.

Charles Leno was an all-pro LT, was he not? If you mean HOF-er not many are, but many slightly lesser guys have good long careers on really good teams. My point is why the absolute comment? To me, that's just kind of weird in a "too cool to have optimism" sort of way.

Leno was never an All Pro but as I recall he may have been a Pro Bowler one year possibly as an alternate for another LT.

If any of the OT/OG prospects we drafted can play LT and pass block as well as Charles Leno did we'd be OK. If he could pass block that well AND run block in ways Leno could not that would be a huge bonus. His scouting reports claim Braxton does run block well but has pass blocking issues to clean up.

He's the right size and weight and he has other traits including his athleticism that say he could be a good fit in a zone blocking scheme. But counter to that is his draft status which says 5th round picks are always a 50/50 deal. So we'll see how he does this summer.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I have high hopes for this lad and as he said himself “I’m very coachable”.

So he has the measurables and is very coachable.

What more do you need from a 5th round rookie tackle?

I probably rate him considerably higher than Larry Borom 12 months ago and he took a lot of snaps in his rookie year and didn’t disgrace himself.

[dplank]

This thread on Jones is interesting, I like his demeanor / attitude. Serious and professional, that’s a plus feature.

[Bearfacts]

I have to wonder that had Jones played for Ohio State vs Southern Utah we wouldn't see him on the same level as Nicholas Petit-Frere whom some had hoped we'd draft in Round 3. Similar height and weight but Jones has significantly more length and was much faster in both his 40 yard and 10 yard sprints.

Although both Gordon and Brisker should be immediate starters Poles two 5th round picks may also turn out to be very good picks purely from a value perspective. If Jones can pass block as well as Leno but run block far better he turns out to be a solid pick.

[dplank]

I have to wonder that had Jones played for Ohio State vs Southern Utah we wouldn't see him on the same level as Nicholas Petit-Frere whom some had hoped we'd draft in Round 3. Similar height and weight but Jones has significantly more length and was much faster in both his 40 yard and 10 yard sprints.

Although both Gordon and Brisker should be immediate starters Poles two 5th round picks may also turn out to be very good picks purely from a value perspective. If Jones can pass block as well as Leno but run block far better he turns out to be a solid pick.

Yea for sure. I'm a big believer in taking guys who played high level college ball, it shows you how they stack up against the best physical prospects in the nation week after week. You have more guesswork with a guy that played at Southern Utah because half, maybe more than half, of the time he's going against a person who he can physically dominate with ease - that will NEVER happen in the NFL - not ever. The floor for an NFL DL is too high, even the lower tier guys would be dominant at Southern Utah. So you just have to project more with less tape evidence because there's always that caveat to his game film - was he going against a valid/real opponent when he looked good?

Adam Shaheen absolutely punked everyone in college.

Plenty of low end school players have translated to the NFL as well, it's just a bit tougher to forecast IMO.

[thunderspirit]

Yea for sure. I'm a big believer in taking guys who played high level college ball, it shows you how they stack up against the best physical prospects in the nation week after week. You have more guesswork with a guy that played at Southern Utah because half, maybe more than half, of the time he's going against a person who he can physically dominate with ease - that will NEVER happen in the NFL - not ever. The floor for an NFL DL is too high, even the lower tier guys would be dominant at Southern Utah. So you just have to project more with less tape evidence because there's always that caveat to his game film - was he going against a valid/real opponent when he looked good?

Adam Shaheen absolutely punked everyone in college.

Plenty of low end school players have translated to the NFL as well, it's just a bit tougher to forecast IMO.

There's definitely a discount that often needs to be applied to guys jumping up multiple levels at once — when (rough estimates) barely half the Power 5 top 400 prospects have the necessary strength and athleticism to survive in the NFL, and correspondingly barely a quarter of the prospects from non-Power 5 FBS do, you need to look at outlier strength/athleticism for guys from lower levels because they almost certainly haven't had the same level coaching and development. (Shaheen had that outlier athleticism and was probably worth the calculated risk, but OMFG not in Round 2.)

[RichH55]

I'd also say that while everyone benefits from both NFL strength and conditioning programs - and it being year round - no classes etc

A guy from Southern Utah is going to benefit more so than a kid from tOSU (who have a great program themselves)

[Bearfacts]

I have to wonder that had Jones played for Ohio State vs Southern Utah we wouldn't see him on the same level as Nicholas Petit-Frere whom some had hoped we'd draft in Round 3. Similar height and weight but Jones has significantly more length and was much faster in both his 40 yard and 10 yard sprints.

Although both Gordon and Brisker should be immediate starters Poles two 5th round picks may also turn out to be very good picks purely from a value perspective. If Jones can pass block as well as Leno but run block far better he turns out to be a solid pick.

Yea for sure. I'm a big believer in taking guys who played high level college ball, it shows you how they stack up against the best physical prospects in the nation week after week. You have more guesswork with a guy that played at Southern Utah because half, maybe more than half, of the time he's going against a person who he can physically dominate with ease - that will NEVER happen in the NFL - not ever. The floor for an NFL DL is too high, even the lower tier guys would be dominant at Southern Utah. So you just have to project more with less tape evidence because there's always that caveat to his game film - was he going against a valid/real opponent when he looked good?

Adam Shaheen absolutely punked everyone in college.

Plenty of low end school players have translated to the NFL as well, it's just a bit tougher to forecast IMO.

With Braxton Jones I think the deal will be first can he come in and compete. Can he show us he's ready for NFL speed and strength and that it's not too big for him. That much gets him a backup role. Next he needs to show that he can own LT. That he's the best we have at the moment now or in 2023. Once we know he can start and hold his own we look to upgrade him whenever possible.

What Pace never did was to look beyond Leno and Massie for players who might be even better. He simply accepted them as average or slightly better than average OT and extended them thereby assuring OT would never rise above average or slightly above average. He never drafted a Braxton Jones level OT to compete with his OT or even sought younger UFA guys who other teams had released.

It's almost like he believed OT was not a high value position compared to other spots and kept drafting borderline receivers and/or trading picks moving up for guys either he or Nagy had fallen in love with and had to have. It never worked and the foundation for offensive success was never built.

Right now we have no idea how any of these four OL will turn out but at least Jones has the physical tools to succeed provided he gets solid coaching. I watched Carter's Senior Bowl videos and that kid gives in to no one. He's a tenacious pass blocker. Thomas has a rep as a great run blocker with a mean streak which is exactly what we want at LT paired with Jenkins at LT and Kramer is a local boy whose gonna do whatever he can to stick on his hometown team. It's a total crap shoot yet I like the picks based on their skills and where were drafted them and who knows. We may find another OL in the UDFA bunch.

This is only a start. As time goes by Poles will always be looking to upgrade his OL because that's who he is and it's also his belief about how to build his roster from the bottom up and from the back end forward. Top draft picks are great when they succeed but you only get one per draft. It's those scores you hit on in the middle and later rounds who can become difference makers and depth.

JMHO

[dave99]

I have to wonder that had Jones played for Ohio State vs Southern Utah we wouldn't see him on the same level as Nicholas Petit-Frere whom some had hoped we'd draft in Round 3. Similar height and weight but Jones has significantly more length and was much faster in both his 40 yard and 10 yard sprints.

Although both Gordon and Brisker should be immediate starters Poles two 5th round picks may also turn out to be very good picks purely from a value perspective. If Jones can pass block as well as Leno but run block far better he turns out to be a solid pick.

That's a big reason the Senior Bowl is so important to guys like Jones

"That Senior Bowl was huge for him," said Bears area scout David Williams. "Some of those small-school prospects I've scouted over the years, they never really know until they get to the East-West Shrine, the NFLPA, especially the Senior Bowl, the Combine. So, for him to exist in that and not just exist but compete and be one of the better linemen there, I thought that was a really good sign for his future."

https://www.chicagobears.com/news/senio ... yre-carter
https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sport ... 649664001/

[Bearfacts]

I have to wonder that had Jones played for Ohio State vs Southern Utah we wouldn't see him on the same level as Nicholas Petit-Frere whom some had hoped we'd draft in Round 3. Similar height and weight but Jones has significantly more length and was much faster in both his 40 yard and 10 yard sprints.

Although both Gordon and Brisker should be immediate starters Poles two 5th round picks may also turn out to be very good picks purely from a value perspective. If Jones can pass block as well as Leno but run block far better he turns out to be a solid pick.

That's a big reason the Senior Bowl is so important to guys like Jones

"That Senior Bowl was huge for him," said Bears area scout David Williams. "Some of those small-school prospects I've scouted over the years, they never really know until they get to the East-West Shrine, the NFLPA, especially the Senior Bowl, the Combine. So, for him to exist in that and not just exist but compete and be one of the better linemen there, I thought that was a really good sign for his future."

https://www.chicagobears.com/news/senio ... yre-carter
https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sport ... 649664001/

Agreed. Another guy who I believe was helped by his Senior Bowl work was Carter. Although he looks a bit on the small side in the videos I watched of him working at both OG and OC in the practices and he was pretty tenacious as pass blocker even against bigger guys. Jones and Thomas had similar experiences which I'm sure helped boost their draft stock.

That's why I was musing about just how much playing in an FCS program hurts a players draft rankings? Although Jones ranking in Dane Brugler's scouting report was very similar to Petit-Frere and higher than Max Mitchell both were drafted ahead of Jones. But again scheme fit is always gonna be a factor as well and we wanted OL who scored higher athletically.

[IE]

To me from what I've seen it looks like Braxton sort of stepped into a leader role amongst the rookie crew. That's great, as he seems like a grown man - seems super cool, smart, mature, engaging, and easily big enough for the spotlight.

But then again with those 36" arms maybe he was just the natural guy to take the group selfies. lol

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

But then again with those 36" arms maybe he was just the natural guy to take the group selfies. lol

I agree though, he seems like a good character.
That’s worth a lot to a team