Landry Jones

Sam Bradford left some big shoes to be filled at Oklahoma, and Landry Jones has done a damn good job of filling them.  Having since taken over the QB duties at Oklahoma as a red-shirt freshman, Jones has lead the Sooners to a 30-9 record and 3 bowl victories, including the 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.  Experience is a huge plus with Jones, although playing in the Big-XII is not saying much about the defenses he faces on a weekly basis.  With that said, Jones has been a proven leader during his time at Oklahoma, and 2012-13 looks to be a year he can elevate himself to top 5 status.  Arm Strength is a positive with Jones, capable of making all throws on the field, but not in the same class as an Elway.  His accuracy is better than what his numbers show, and is deadly between the hashes and has a knack for hitting receivers in perfect stride.  As mentioned above, experience is a big plus with Jones, and NFL teams will know they are getting a quarterback who has some hair on his chest (or dick if you wish).  Something Jones has that his predecessor lacked is durability; he has yet to miss a game as a starter.  He has the desired height/weight of a franchise QB, 6'4 230lbs, and looks every bit the part of a NFL quarterback.  A big plus with Jones is his ability to read the play, not necessarily his decision, but he has great vision-as do many Oklahoma QB's.  He should be great at checking down as long as he isn't overconfident and force throws.

Even though he has nearly 40 games as a starter, Jones still makes some mind boggling mistakes.  You don't throw a career high 15 INTs by being careful.  Jones has a tendency to try and force the ball into coverage, simply because he believes in his arm that much.  Coaches want to see this, but not to the extent Landry is.  His throwing mechanics are criticized by some, saying he "pushes" the ball without using his legs to get some zip on the ball.  Jones does not play under center, and although I don't personally believe this is a damning factor, but some believe this will really hinder is development.  A big drawback with Jones is the lack of pro-style offense.  At Oklahoma he runs a no huddle shotgun offense, something you NEVER see in the NFL.  For Jones to have any success at the next level he needs to make that transition immediately following the upcoming college football year.  Jones is essentially a tree in the pocket, and his lack of mobility may come to haunt him when he is consistently facing top notch defenses and NFL caliber pass rushers.

2012-13 is going to be a huge year for Jones.  He is going to be heading in regarded as a top 10 pick by some, and can solidify his place by dropping his INT total and increasing his completion percentage.  Jones is not, however, going to be thought of as the top QB in this class unless he unleashes hell upon college football, as did Bradford (50 TDs 8 INTs).  Just look above, the negatives and positives are nearly equal in length.  Whoever ends up taking Jones is getting a QB who has all the physical tools to be a great passer, but lacks the knowledge of a pro style offense.  Jones has the look of a boom or bust prospect-either he learns how to run an NFL offense and is successful, or fails to grasp the concepts and becomes another 1st round bust.






RATINGS
ACCURACY:A
ARM STRENGTH:B+
POCKET PRESENCE:B
MOBILITY:C-
DURABILITY:A
POTENTIAL:B
OVERALL:B+