Taiwan Jones is a very intriguing prospect at running back out of Eastern Washington, the FCS National Champions in 2010 as they defeated Deleware in the championship game. For the old school folks like myself, it use to be DII.
He has very nice size at 5'11, 194 lbs and has great speed, a 2nd gear you don't see often in a kid and it will be very interesting to see how he does in his Pro Day on April 14th. He broke his foot in the quarterfinals of the playoffs against North Dakota State and did not have a chance to work out at the NFL Combine.
This is a analysis of Taiwan from CBSSportsline.com.
Overview
Simply put, athletes with Jones' degree of explosiveness are rarely found at the FCS level. Eastern Washington may have won the FCS National Championship without Jones -- who missed the final two playoff games with a broken bone in his left foot -- but the Eagles certainly wouldn't have been in position to win the title without his 1,742 rushing yards and 14 scores.
Jones signed with Eastern as a cornerback, actually starting four games at the position in 2008 after redshirting his first season. Even early on as a defender, Jones looked like a standout, ranking sixth on the team in tackles (54) and leading the team with two blocked kicks despite missing the first four games of the season due to a broken leg.
Jones was an immediate star at running back for Eastern in 2009, taking his first career handoff 87 yards for a touchdown. His 2,345 all-purpose yards earned him third-team All-American honors from the AP and ranked second in school history.
A year later, despite missing the playoff games, Jones bettered his production, posting 2,421 all-purpose yards, including 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. With his team winning the national championship and two seasons of stellar production, Jones made the choice few FCS prospects would ever consider -- making the early jump to the NFL.
Teams that chalk up Jones' production to his level of competition could be surprised with how high he's selected. Possessing a combination of elusiveness, acceleration and breakaway speed to rival any skill position player in the FBS, Jones could wind up a top 100 selection. Only his troubling lack of durability and the question of which role will minimize the hits he'll take in the NFL will keep him from be picked even higher.
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Taiwan Jones is a very intriguing prospect at running back out of Eastern Washington, the FCS National Champions in 2010 as they defeated Deleware in the championship game. For the old school folks like myself, it use to be DII.
