The 90 to 1 Green Bay Packers roster countdown: No. 8

The Green Bay Packers, and their 90 players on the roster, are in the midst of their first training camp under coach Matt LaFleur. In an annual tradition from my 11 years at Packer Report, I rank the players in order of importance from No. 90 to No. 1. This isn’t just a listing of the team’s best players. Our rankings take into account talent, importance of the position, depth at the position, salary and draft history. More than the ranking, we hope you learn something about each player. (Note: The start of this series can be found with my former employer.)

No. 8: RB Aaron Jones ($695,487 cap)

As a runner, there’s no doubt about Jones.

In his first two seasons, Jones has averaged 5.50 yards per carry. Among all running backs with at least 200 rushes in professional football history, that ranks third all-time – behind only Skeet Quinlan’s 5.87 and Hall of Famer Marion Motley’s 5.70.

“I’m sure glad he’s on our team,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

With LaFleur vowing to change the offensive dynamic after the team finished with the lowest run percentage in the league last season, Jones figures to close the gap in the race to be the team’s Most Valuable Aaron.

As a runner, he’s elite. In a big-play league, Jones ranked third last season with a 10-yard run rate of 16.5 percent. Over the past two seasons, he’s taken 34 of his 214 carries for 10-plus yards compared to 17 of 274 for sidekick Jamaal Williams. He has only one career fumble.

“He’s got a really good burst and ability to press the outside,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “I think the biggest surprise with me was watching him when he did make his cut, his ability to get his shoulders squared and downhill. He’s not the biggest guy, but his ability to really stretch it, one cut, get downhill, you can really see him get low and take on some of those thud tackles form the defense that you’re like, ‘OK, this guy’s not only going be able to get a couple big ones and break it but, when there isn’t anything there, he’s going to get a positive gain.’ I think that’s the thing that’s exciting about him right now.”

Nonetheless, there are some nagging, obvious questions. That list starts with the obvious: health. With three MCL injuries and one suspension, Jones has played in 24 of a possible 32 games in his two seasons. Before Jones can join the list of the league’s top running backs, he must show he can handle 15-plus touches week after week after week.

Though a hamstring injury sustained early in camp did little to put those concerns to rest, Jones remade his body during the offseason in hopes of staying healthy. By changing his diet, trading candy and chips for apples and almonds, he cut his body fat in half from 11 percent to 5.3.

“It makes a big difference, from being able to move out on the field doing different things, making cuts,” Jones said. “I feel like that’s big for me. I just want to be the best version I can be on the field and I feel like that’s helped me. I feel faster, swifter, more agile.”

Now, it’s time for Jones to show a more well-rounded game. He took a big step in that direction last year. As a rookie, he caught just 9-of-18 passes for 22 yards. The NFL has tracked receiving targets since 1992. Jones’ 1.22 yards per target was the third-worst among all players who were targeted at least 18 times over those 26 seasons. Last year, he caught 25-of-36 passes for 206 yards. His long gain of 24 yards topped his entire 2017 total. Knowing how LaFleur likes to use the running backs in the passing game, he put some of his offseason focus on catching the ball. During special-teams periods at practice, Jones gets some additional one-on-one time with a JUGS machine operated by running backs coach Ben Sirmans.

“I feel like my hands have gotten really good – low ball, high ball, anywhere,” he said. “Any running back who doesn’t want to be involved in the pass game, I haven’t met one.”

If Jones can stay healthy, and if he can take more steps down the path of being a three-down back, he’ll move into the upper echelon of NFL running backs.

“I feel like I’m slept on a little bit, but I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” he said. “I’m ready to show it. I’m excited about this year.”

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