2019 Senior Bowl: 5 players to watch
By Joe Romano
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
Last year’s game saw two quarterbacks that were drafted at the top of the first round in Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen. This year, the name to watch for a highly drafted quarterback in Mobile is Duke’s Daniel Jones.
Jones is a product of Duke coach David Cutcliffe who was heralded in his ability to work with quarterbacks. At 6-foot-5, Jones fits the bill for what NFL executives look for to lead their franchise. He even has the requisite athleticism that is now almost a must for NFL quarterbacks in 2019.
On tape it is easy to see why talent evaluates like Jones. He is a smart player that rarely, if ever, puts his team in an ill-fated position. Jones finished the season with only nine interceptions with two in the final bowl game. He also has a rare feel for dropping balls into the right spaces against zone coverage to give his player a chance to make a play. Jones is also a tough SOB on the field. He returned after less than two weeks after fracturing his non-throwing shoulders clavicle. That mental make-up will make Jones look like a safe pick for the general managers that could be ousted with the wrong choice on a quarterback.
Where Jones will leave a lot to be desired is with his arm strength. A tall and powerful build like Jones would usually come with a rocket arm (see Josh Allen from last year as an example). Instead Jones is more of a finesse thrower, and albeit a good one. When he’s asked to put some zip on the ball into a tight window, he falls a little short. This week in Mobile will be big for scouts to see what he can really do when they run him through the individual drills.
With a solid week at the Senior Bowl, Jones could elevate his stock. He has a case to be the second quarterback taken, after Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. There are already connections being made to the Denver Broncos, who have fallen for other big quarterbacks in recent years. Of course, all the quarterbacks will now be looking over their shoulder with Kyler Murray officially entering the fray.