Trente Jones 2024 NFL Draft Profile
The University of Michigan is sending a ton of offensive linemen to the NFL. The least discussed of the group is Trente Jones. That is understandable as he was not a starter for the Wolverines. Does that take him out of NFL draft contention or is he worth a late-round pick? We will answer that question in Jones’ 2024 NFL Draft Profile.
At Michigan, Jones’ road to playing time was never clear. The Wolverines often made Jones and Karsen Barnhart fight for the right tackle job. In 2022, Jones won the job before getting injured and losing the spot. In 2023, Barnhart beat him out for the starting job. Despite being starter quality for many other programs, Jones never entered the transfer portal and became Michigan’s sixth offensive lineman. Typically, that is not a great sign, but a sixth offensive lineman is much more important to the Wolverines than other schools.
As a sixth offensive lineman, Jones did good work and got a decent amount of snaps. Additionally, he moved into the starting right tackle role after Zak Zinter‘s injury forced the offensive line to be reshuffled. In three starts, Jones played well against Iowa, Alabama, and Washington. That is a limited sample size, but he performed well against defensive linemen who will be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. That includes Chris Braswell, Justin Eboigbe, and Bralen Trice.
One of the positives about being a sixth offensive lineman is that Jones showed to be a versatile player. That role requires him to line up in various positions and take on multiple responsibilities. That is valuable as a bench player in the NFL.
Jones can get the job done in the passing game. In no world is he a lockdown blocker, but he gets his hands on rushers and prevents them from getting outside. The one flaw is that he can give up inside moves.
Jones is not a dominant run blocker. That is likely why he didn’t start at Michigan. Still, he is respectable in that area as he gets the job done and creates running lanes. Although, he does not move bodies efficiently. It is rare to see him push a defensive lineman downfield in the run game. This is a bigger concern in short-yardage situations. Otherwise, he will ensure his backs have a running lane.
Jones is good at getting to the second level and blocking linebackers. For the most part, he takes good angles and cuts off linebackers. Once he gets his hands on a linebacker, he gets the job done. The issue here is that he can drop his head and miss blocks.
It should also be noted that Jones was a respected recruit. In the class of 2019, he was a four-star recruit that sat just outside of the top 100. That is not the end all be all, but it is a positive considering we are working with a lot of question marks.
The case for Jones is complex. The lack of starting experience is a clear concern. Furthermore, he has clear limitations. The technique is not flawless and he does not have elite power. Still, his performance during Michigan’s National Championship run is appealing. In a larger view, his recruiting profile, athleticism, and versatility validate his success despite the sample size.
I would be interested in landing Jones. I think there is a real possibility that he can provide some position versatility off the bench. The experience as a sixth lineman could be viewed as positive for a team that wants to use him in that role as well. I’d be willing to spend a sixth or seventh-round pick for a swing on Jones. That said, I imagine he will be overlooked in the draft process because he was not Michigan’s opening-day starter. I’d gladly bring him in as an undrafted free agent.
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