Running back depth will be more important this season than in recent years now that Todd Gurley is gone. With Gurley on the roster, he got the bulk of the carries, leaving very few opportunities for the backups.
Now that the Rams will use more of a committee approach, they could go four-deep on the 53-man roster and utilize each player. Darrell Henderson Jr. is a lock for the final roster, but his hamstring injury could sideline him until the season opener.
That may afford undrafted rookie Xavier Jones the chance to earn a spot on the 53-man roster instead of the practice squad. Regardless of whether Henderson misses two weeks or a month, Jones’ opportunities just increased.
He scored a touchdown in the scrimmage and got more chances to carry the ball with Henderson sidelined. Sean McVay acknowledged Sunday that the other backs on the roster will get more opportunities now that Henderson is injured, including Jones.
“Like anything else, it means more reps for cam for Malcolm (Brown), for Jones and John Kelly,” he said. “And so (RBs coach) Thomas Brown has done a great job with those guys. They’ll get more reps and then we’ll be excited when we can get Darrell back on the field, but it is an unfortunate setback for him.”
Jones wasn’t a highly touted prospect out of college and didn’t even receive an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine. He wasn’t able to hold a pro day at SMU, either, which limited his exposure even more.
He should’ve been on the national radar, however, after rushing for 1,276 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior in 2019 and being named one of the 10 Doak Walker Award semifinalists for the best running back in the country.
If you pop on the tape and watch some of his highlights, you’ll see a player with great vision and enough speed to get to the edge and make plays. He may not be the fastest running back around, but his speed still allows him to separate from defenders in the open field.
His patience and vision are his best attributes, and on this 62-yard touchdown run last year, he showcased his speed, too.
Xavier Jones made a move and hit the jets ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/wmAapjNW9s
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 25, 2019
Running back is a position that often yields productive players who went undrafted, too, because the transition from college to the NFL isn’t as difficult for tailbacks as it can be for other spots like tight end and offensive tackle.
If Jones can slip through the door that just creaked open with Henderson going down, he might just make it on the 53-man roster as the fourth running back. It’s still an “if,” but he was one of the better undrafted rookies to come from the 2020 class.