Tag: Emery Jones

Where do Will Campbell and Emery Jones rank on PFF’s draft big board?

What round will LSU’s Will Campbell and Emery Jones hear their name called in the 2025 NFL Draft?

LSU football’s offensive line was one of the most talented in college football in 2023 and 2024. Headlined by tackles [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones, [/autotag]the Tigers had a handful of future NFL players protecting the quarterback.

Campbell and Jones both made decisions on their future following the conclusion of the regular season, electing to forgo their senior years and declare for the NFL Draft. LSU will be without both when it faces Baylor in the Texas Bowl.

On the interior, guards Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger are heading to the next level as well.

Campbell has a chance to be one of the top picks in the draft, while the picture is less clear for the rest of the group.

Today, we’ll look at how the bunch stacks up on early draft big boards. PFF ranks all three inside the top 180 and one inside the top 10 on its 2025 Big Board.

Will Campbell

PFF slots Campbell at No. 8 on the big board,  the highest rank for an offensive lineman, with a season grade of 71.3. One of the most decorated players in program history, Campbell led all LSU offensive linemen with 866 snaps played in 2024 and played every offensive snap in 11 of the team’s 12 games.

Campbell ranks three spots higher than fellow tackle standout Kevin Banks Jr from Texas. The Monroe, LA native allowed just three sacks through his three seasons donning the purple and gold.

Emery Jones Jr.

Jones played all but 33 snaps at right tackle through his three seasons in Baton Rouge. PFF gave him a 61.5 season grade while also ranking him No. 151 overall in the draft class and No. 18 at tackle.

Jones is ranked as a tackle here, but his future at the next level is likely at guard.

Miles Frazier

Frazier enters the draft, offering NFL teams plenty of versatility. In his first season at LSU, he played every position except center, totaling the most snaps at left guard with 594. He also played 190 at right guard, 28 at right tackle, and ten at left tackle.

The Camden, NJ native settled into right guard, totaling 785 snaps in 2023 and 839 in 2024. He began his career at FIU, and his transfer to LSU was key to the Tigers’ rebuild of the offensive line under Brian Kelly.

PFF gave him a 69.6 grade in his final year and ranked him the No. 8 guard and No. 177 overall in the draft.

Garrett Dellinger

Dellinger is absent from the PFF big board, but he has a chance to hear his name called. Dellinger began his LSU career as a tackle and saw action as a true freshman in 2021.

LSU prepared to play Dellinger at center in 2022, but that was short-lived as he moved back to guard. He settled in at left guard in 2023 and has been one of the SEC’s top guards over the last two years.

LSU right tackle Emery Jones declares for NFL Draft

LSU is losing another offensive lineman to the NFL

LSU is losing another offensive lineman as right tackle [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] announced his plans to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Jones’ announcement comes after left tackle Will Campbell elected to declare earlier this month.

Campbell, a projected top-10 pick, was obvious, but there was speculation about Jones returning in 2025.

Now, LSU will be replacing both tackles and both guards entering 2025. The one starter slated to return is center [autotag]DJ Chester.[/autotag]

A member of Brian Kelly’s first LSU signing class, Jones was a top 100 overall recruit per the On3 Industry Rankings.

Jones took over the starting job at right tackle in week three of his freshman campaign. There were growing pains in 2022, but in 2023, Jones became one of the best tackles in the SEC. It led to Jones appearing in the first round of some mock drafts entering 2024.

Jones didn’t quite replicate his sophomore campaign, but the NFL tools remain.

Jones is likely to slide to guard at the next level. Guard won’t be entirely new to Jones, who saw 33 snaps at right guard in 2023. Jones earned all-conference honors in 2023 and 2024 and leaves LSU as one of the most productive tackles in program history.

Transfer portal update: More potential LSU targets enter the portal

Here are five big portal names LSU fans should know

After the transfer portal opened on Monday, names continued to flood the market. LSU football is already active, setting up visits with several top prospects.

LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] signaled an aggressive approach from the Tigers, and while dominoes are yet to fall, LSU is setting up for a massive portal haul.

Things are moving fast, and more names are entering than the average fan has time to keep up with. We’ll take some time to update you on recent entries that make sense for LSU.

These are prospects at positions of need for LSU, whether the Tigers are looking to add a star or just build depth.

LSU’s roster has quite a few holes, especially with most of the 2023 signing class not working out. Ideally, those prospects would be entering their junior years ready for central roles at LSU, but only a handful of 2023 signees remain with the Tigers. LSU needs to add proven veterans to make up for that.

Here are some transfer portal names to know as of Thursday.

Ben Bell, Defensive End — Texas State

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Per the On3 Industry Rankings, Bell is the top defender available.

He only played four games with the Bobcats in 2024 in hopes of getting another year to transfer up. But in those four games, Bell posted 23 pressures and four sacks. Last year, Bell had 53 pressures.

It’s rare to see a player on the transfer market with 123 pressures and 20 sacks in his career, but Bell is a proven producer.

Xavier Chaplin, Tackle — Virginia Tech

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

LSU is losing at least three offensive linemen to the NFL this year. If [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] declares, that total grows to four.

LSU needs portal addition across the board on the offensive line. The Tigers need guys that can start and depth pieces. Chaplin is the former. According to On3, he’s the No. 6 ranked transfer.

He’s 6’7′ with two years of starting experience at left tackle. He’s a good run blocker, and that’s something LSU needs after struggling to get a push on the ground in 2024.

Tacario Davis, Cornerback — Arizona

Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Davis is one of the top names in the transfer portal. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he’s the No. 7 overall available prospect.

LSU is losing [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] to the NFL. Davis would make a fine replacement.

Alexander had the size to cover SEC wide receivers man-to-man. Davis has the same ability at 6’3′. LSU needs corners it can trust on an island in Blake Baker’s defense — Tacario Davis is just that.

Josh Moten, Cornerback — Marshall

The Columbus Dispatch

He played in the Sun Belt, but Moten was one of the top cornerbacks in the country in 2024. Per PFF, the only CB with a better coverage grade than Moten was Heisman trophy favorite Travis Hunter.

LSU’s secondary is still young. It’s talented but young. LSU needs to go out and land a veteran like Moten to pair with corners like [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Pickett.[/autotag]

Brice Pollock, Cornerback — Mississippi State

Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Cornerback isn’t the highest priority for LSU, but if LSU can land a proven SEC starter, they’ll take it.

Mississippi State’s defense struggled in 2024, but Pollock wasn’t to blame. According to PFF, he posted a 75.8 defensive grade while playing 720 snaps for the Bulldogs. He recorded five pass breakups and posted an 81.2 passer rating when targeted.

Brian Kelly says true freshman Ahmad Breaux could see immediate action this week

LSU defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux is set to make an immediate impact.

Depth at defensive line has been a question for LSU all summer. That puts a spotlight on the young guys in that room.

A freshman making an immediate impact on the interior would be significant, potentially changing LSU’s outlook at the position.

The name to watch early could be [autotag]Ahmad Breaux[/autotag]. Brian Kelly said Breaux was LSU’s most physically and mentally ready freshman.

Breaux was a three-star in the 2024 class, but he’s looked like a blue chip thus far. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Breaux was the No. 59 ranked defensive lineman in his class and the No. 21 ranked recruit in Louisiana.

The most notable defensive tackle signing for LSU in the 2024 class was five-star [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], but Breaux might be seeing the field first.

LSU hired Bo Davis to develop difference-makers at defensive tackle. LSU had three NFL draft picks on the interior last year, but the level of play was below the talent level. It’s looking like LSU will get immediate results from Davis in week one.

https://twitter.com/ByCoryDiaz/status/1829289891852878244

Brian Kelly doesn’t shy away from playing true freshman up front. In 2022, we saw LSU rely on two freshmen at the offensive tackle spots in [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag]. That completely flipped the trajectory of that room with Campbell and Jones emerging as stars.

LSU hopes the 2024 defensive tackle class will make a similar impact.

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Brian Kelly says an illness going through LSU locker room

The Tigers will need to be 100% healthy if they want to win their first season opener since 2019.

If LSU wants to have a shot at winning another SEC Championship and competing for another national championship, the Tigers must stay healthy. I mean that in more ways than just being the usual football injuries. The players have got to be able to fight off illnesses.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] recently revealed that a few players on the team have been dealing with an illness that has kept them from participating in practice. It is hard enough to deal with any illness, but add to that practices in full pads on what could be a 100-degree day and you have a recipe for disaster.

“So, we’ve had a bug going around, a lower GI bug. Through the o-line. And Emery Jones was affected greatly from it today. You saw he was in and out. He probably shouldn’t have been out there, but you couldn’t keep him from practice. That’s what he was suffering from. We sent him home,” Kelly said, per On3.

“I don’t know how Whit Weeks and West Weeks made it through practice. They had a similar bug. We’ve sprayed the offices. We’ve cleaned them down. But you know, we’re fighting that now with a number of guys.”

The Tigers will need to be 100% healthy if they want to win their first season opener since 2019.

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PFF has 2 LSU Tigers among top 10 offensive tackles in 2025 NFL draft class

LSU boasts what could be the top offensive tackle duo in the country this fall.

It’s never too early to start thinking about the [autotag]2025 NFL draft[/autotag] and ranking future prospects. Pro Football Focus has done just that as they have ranked the top tackles of the 2025 NFL draft class.

Two Tigers have made the top 10 of the rankings. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] were both recognized. Campbell and Jones Jr. have been the anchors of the Tigers’ offensive line for the past two seasons on the Bayou.

Campbell has become one of the biggest leaders on the team. Last season he earned the famed No. 7 patch to wear on his uniform. He was a Joe Moore Award finalist and a First Team All-SEC selection by the SEC coaches in 2023.

Jones Jr. earned Second-Team All-SEC honors from the SEC coaches in 2023 and was a key to keeping [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] on his feet last fall. Both of these guys are entering their Junior seasons this fall and will be eligible for the next NFL draft.

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LSU OT named player to watch for Cardinals in 2025 draft

PFF names LSU tackle Emery Jones as a player to watch for the Cardinals for the 2025 draft.

The Arizona Cardinals are approaching their 2024 regular season and the 2024 college football season is coming up. While the 2025 NFL draft is far from on our minds, Pro Football Focus reminds us to think a little bit about it.

Trevor Sikkema named one offensive player to watch for every NFL team for next year’s draft.

For the Cardinals, it is LSU offensive tackle Emery Jones.

The Cardinals did well to bolster their pass-catching group by drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. last season. Tight end Trey McBride should continue to be an impactful receiver, as well. Wide receiver Michael Wilson is poised for a big second season, and receivers Zay Jones and Greg Dortch bring good depth.

Projecting future needs, LSU offensive tackle Emery Jones would make for an excellent addition to this offensive line. Jones plays right tackle for the Tigers right now but could find a home at either tackle or guard in the NFL.

Paris Johnson should occupy left tackle for years. They have Jonah Williams under contract for two seasons. Having someone ready to take over for him would be good.

Jones is officially a player to pay attention to as the college football season progresses this fall.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

LSU’s Will Campbell, Emery Jones lead Phil Steele’s preseason college football offensive tackle rankings

LSU could have the nation’s best offensive line in 2024, and the tackle spots are a major reason for it.

LSU has a lot of new pieces on offense after [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] all moved on to the next level. However, there’s one position we know won’t be a question mark, and it’s the offensive tackle.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] anchors what is arguably the best offensive line in the country entering the 2024 season at left tackle, and the former five-star recruit and two-year starter could find himself as a top-five pick in next year’s draft. Playing opposite Campbell is [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag], a fellow 2022 recruit who has helmed the right tackle spot the last two seasons.

Phil Steele ranked the top 25 offensive tackles in college football ahead of the 2024 season, and Campbell and Jones topped the list at No. 1 and 2, respectively.

Both are considered possible first-round picks in 2025, and they’ll make things easier on new quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who should have plenty of time in the pocket to show off his gunslinging tendencies this season.

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ESPN: Jaguars target OL help in early 2025 mock draft

ESPN: Jaguars target OL help in early 2025 mock draft

It’s never too early to read a mock draft, right?

It certainly can be too early to create one, but that doesn’t stop the NFL media industry from performing the exercise. Projections for the 2025 NFL draft have been rolling out since this year’s draft concluded in late April.

Matt Miller of ESPN is the latest analyst to release an early first-round mock, crafting the selection order based on the Football Power Index created by his outlet.

With the Jaguars slotted at No. 15 overall, Miller sent LSU offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr. to Jacksonville, citing his belief in the club’s need for help on its exterior offensive line.

The biggest weakness on the Jacksonville roster is at offensive tackle; Anton Harrison struggled on the right side as a rookie, and Cam Robinson was among the worst run-blocking left tackles in the league last season. But Jones — who starts at right tackle for the Tigers — has easy movement skills despite a 6-foot-6 and 315-pound frame, and I see the agility and balance to play left or right tackle in the pros. He has to clean up some timing issues, but his jump from freshman starter to sophomore standout (seven sacks allowed in Year 1 compared to four in Year 2) showed his potential.

The Jaguars took Harrison in the first round of last year’s draft, and opinions of rookie season performance vary based on the eye of the beholder. Miller and fellow ESPN analysts, Pro Football Focus and other outlets have raised concerns about his play or graded it poorly; Florida Times-Union, Sports Illustrated and A to Z Sports writers, among others, have commended his showing.

But the contracts of Robinson and his projected backup, Walker Little, are set to expire after this season, lending credence to the idea of Jacksonville targeting a starting-caliber offensive tackle next offseason, should the Jaguars not retain one or both of those players.

Jones, a rising junior, almost exclusively played right tackle over his first two seasons with the Tigers, accumulating 1,558 snaps in the role. He significantly sharpened his play as a sophomore, giving up two sacks and earning an above-average run-blocking grade, per PFF, after allowing five sacks and receiving an average run-blocking grade as a freshman.

Although Harrison started at right tackle for Jacksonville last year and will again this year, his college experience at left tackle (1,807 snaps) could push him to the opposite side in the event he teams up with Jones next offseason.

Jones was the second offensive lineman to come off the board in Miller’s projection, following his LSU teammate, offensive tackle Will Campbell, who Miller mocked to New England at No. 6 in a trade-down.

3 LSU players projected as 1st round picks in latest ESPN 2025 NFL mock draft

Could the Tigers have a trio of first-round picks for the second year in a row?

LSU had three players selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, the program’s most since 2020.

While the Tigers lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, even in addition to first-rounders [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], there are quite a few potential top draft prospects on this year’s roster, as well. Only time will tell if LSU can match its 2024 first-round total in 2025, but according to the latest ESPN mock draft from Matt Miller, it has a chance.

Miller has three Tigers players going in the first round. Here’s where each of them lands and his breakdown of each.

OT Will Campbell (No. 6, New England Patriots)

The Patriots ranked last in the NFL in pass block win rate last season (43.4%), and even after signing Chukwuma Okorafor and bringing back Mike Onwenu this offseason, addressing the offensive line next offseason is a must. Campbell is part of college football’s best tackle duo alongside LSU teammate Emery Jones Jr. He’s a two-year starter who didn’t allow a single sack and only 15 total pressures last season. He could be long-term protection for Drake Maye in this offense.

Miller has the Patriots trading back from the first overall spot to take some protection for quarterback Drake Maye. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] is the second tackle off the board in this mock, but he could easily be viewed as OT1 by draft time.

LB Harold Perkins (No. 12, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Perkins was misused at linebacker last season, but he will move back to edge rusher in new defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s scheme this year. And we could see him use his great speed to eclipse his 13 career sacks this season alone. That might entice the Buccaneers, who are looking for a defensive end to break out and emerge as a true threat to opposing offenses. Veteran Shaquil Barrett is gone in free agency, and Tampa Bay’s 27.3% pressure rate ranked 24th in the league last season, so adding to this group could be a frontline need come next offseason.

The Bucs have already drafted one former LSU linebacker in recent years in [autotag]Devin White[/autotag], and they could look to add another in [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], who had a bit of a disappointing sophomore season but could bounce back in a big way this fall.

OT Emery Jones (No. 15, Jacksonville Jaguars)

The biggest weakness on the Jacksonville roster is at offensive tackle; Anton Harrison struggled on the right side as a rookie, and Cam Robinson was among the worst run-blocking left tackles in the league last season. But Jones — who starts at right tackle for the Tigers — has easy movement skills despite a 6-foot-6 and 315-pound frame, and I see the agility and balance to play left or right tackle in the pros. He has to clean up some timing issues, but his jump from freshman starter to sophomore standout (seven sacks allowed in Year 1 compared to four in Year 2) showed his potential.

The Jaguars were all about LSU players in 2024, selecting three including Thomas in the first round. They could go back to that well to land more protection for Trevor Lawrence in [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag], who is being a bit overshadowed by Campbell but is one of the nation’s best tackles in his own right.

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