Ronald Jones

After a career campaign in 2020, it was widely assumed Jones would at least get a chance to win a bigger role with the Buccaneers last year. Instead, he got stuck on the bench behind Leonard Fournette, getting double-digit carries once in the first 15 weeks of the season. A Fournette hamstring injury opened the starting job for Jones in Week 16, but after a solid performance against the Panthers, he got hurt himself the following week and his Tampa Bay tenure ended with a whimper. Jones has shown during his time in the NFL that he can make a splash as a runner thanks to a blend of speed, elusiveness and burst, but he's also been plagued by drops and fumbles and seemed to fall in and out of favor with former Bucs coach Bruce Arians. It'll be a new look for Jones this season, joining a Chiefs backfield led by Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the 2020 first-round pick who has nearly as many missed games (10) as touchdowns (11) through two seasons. Jones' lack of receiving skill limits his upside, but he could prove more effective than Edwards-Helaire as a runner if he gets the chance. First, Jones will need to secure a role, competing with Jerick McKinnon and rookie Isiah Pacheco.

Jones' 2020 season was a roller coaster, but it ended with a ring so he probably has few complaints. He spent most of training camp expecting to be the starter, but then Leonard Fournette got scooped up after being waived by the Jaguars, and the 23-year-old suddenly found himself with real competition for snaps. Jones still had good stretches, including three consecutive 100-yard games Weeks 4-6 and a 192-yard display of dominance against the Panthers in Week 10, but he also had fewer than 50 total yards in five of his 14 regular-season games. Then, in the playoffs, Jones missed the wild card-round with a hip injury and worked behind a red-hot Fournette for the following three games. That doesn't necessarily mean Fournette will be the starter this year, but he's at least earned his shot to compete for the role this summer. Additionally, the Bucs signed Giovani Bernard as a potential passing-down specialist, and they still have 2020 third-round pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn hoping to earn some kind of role. Jones is probably the best pure runner of the bunch, but he's not especially good as a pass catcher or blocker, which has landed him in Bruce Arians' doghouse a few times the last couple years. While a full year in the top role could lead to a 1,000-yard rushing campaign with frequent TDs, Jones is also at risk of becoming a backup, be it in September or later in the year.

Free of the tyranny of Dirk Koetter's whims, Jones put together a solid second season that both highlighted his upside and made clear his limitations. Jones wasn't officially named the starter by new coach Bruce Arians until Week 10 last season, but he was productive when he got the touches, showing improved ability as a receiver and using his speed, burst and elusiveness to make defenses pay if they didn't wrap him up quickly. His broken tackle rate - one every 7.5 carries - ranked fifth among qualified rushers, and his 2.4 after-contact average was 13th. His blocking remained poor, however, and he was often replaced by Dare Ogunbowale on passing downs, a serious issue in an offense where it seemed like every down was a passing down. Jones stood atop the depth chart throughout training camp and never seemed to face real challenge from third-round pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn, but things got dicey in early September when the Bucs brought in Leonard Fournette. The Bucs figure to start the season utilizing a committee, one where Jones may or may not be the lead guy.

A second-round pick out of USC, Jones didn't get on the field until Week 4 of his rookie season and didn't get a carry after Week 13, as coach Dirk Koetter kept using Peyton Barber as his lead back even after a playoff spot was out of reach. Jones' final numbers were abysmal - not surprising given his inconsistent workload - but new coach Bruce Arians' offense might be just what he needs to unlock his potential, especially after the team gave him a vote of confidence by not adding competition in the draft. Jones showed tremendous speed, acceleration and elusiveness in college, and in a more dynamic scheme and playing for a coach willing to give him a chance, he could be headed for a breakout campaign. On the other hand, Arians likely plans to install a pass-first offense, and neither Jones nor Barber has shown much potential as a receiving weapon. It's anyone's guess how the snaps ultimately are divided in this backfield, with Andre Ellington potentially also in the mix.

The Buccaneers finally gave up on the idea that Doug Martin would be a consistent backfield weapon for them last year, and the front office wasted no time in finding his replacement, selecting Jones with the 38th overall pick in this year's draft. At 5-11, 205, Jones displayed breakaway speed throughout his college career at USC and likely would've done much better than his 4.65 40 time from the combine if he hadn't strained his hamstring while running (he improved to 4.48 at his pro day). Jones has a fluid, upright running style and doesn't take long to hit his top speed, displaying elusiveness in the open field and the ability to change directions on a dime. He wasn't used much as a receiver by the Trojans, but he's shown some natural ability in that area as well. Tampa has plenty of veteran options on the depth chart behind him, and concerns about his size could limit his touches out of the gate, but Jones figures to get every chance to prove he can be a difference-maker in the backfield.