Dallas Cowboys: 5 late-round RBs to keep an eye on

Nov 22, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators running back Matt Jones (24) runs past Eastern Kentucky Colonels linebacker Trey Thomas (24) during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Jones
Florida
Height: 6-2
Weight: 231 pounds
Grade: Junior

At the combine, the speed of Jones was timed with a 40-yard dash of 4.61, which most likely leaves teams wanting more, but when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, maybe that will be fast enough because they do have a running back with good speed in McFadden on the roster.

Rob Rang of CBSSports.com says one weakness of Jones is he is a “one-trick pony.”

"“Rang wrote: Bit of a one-trick pony as a powerful downhill runner. Lacks the preferred top-end speed and isn’t particularly nimble to make defenders miss in tight quarters.”"

But Rang did have some positives to say about Jones in his 2015 NFL Draft profile:

"“Runs with surprising patience, balance and steady acceleration for a back of his size. He also showed a nice stutter-step to get defenders off-balance …”"

Okay, Jones may be a one-trick pony, but as a potential sixth-round selection with a history of a past knee injury, I honestly don’t mind if Jones is the aforementioned “one-trick pony.”

That is said because with this selection, I’m not looking for a sure bet for a starting running back, but a back who can get the bursts a team needs on a third-and-2 or third-and-4 play to keep drives moving.

Jones had under 300 carries in his three seasons with the Gators, and in what was a total of 297 carries, he rushed for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns. This past season, Jones rushed for 817 yards (166 carries) for a 4.9 yards per carry average where he finished with six touchdowns.

Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel wrote in December about how Jones is preparing for the draft, quoting the RB on the process:

"“I think I can do big things. I’m ready to train hard to get high enough to be a great pick, and I’m looking forward to great things.”"

Before we leave, here are some highlights on the running back during his Florida career:

Jones is an interesting draft prospect, and one who on the third day will have his name called, but by whom and when is the question. Again, he could fit as a change-of-pace running back for the Cowboys, but is he better than Agnew or Robinson?

Next: Maybe a Texas A&M product is the right player