All offseason, fans and media have been questioning the Green Bay Packers and their ability to compete without Aaron Rodgers. However, despite the uncertainty outside of the Packers’ locker room regarding Jordan Love and the team’s young pass catchers, their running back duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon have garnered praise from multiple outlets.
Related: Green Bay Packers- Aaron Jones’ ESPN Fantasy Projections Make No Sense; Are Insulting
However, in a recent ESPN poll of NFL coaches, scouts, and executives, Jones was left off of the list of the top-10 running backs in the NFL.
ESPN Poll Leaves Green Bay Packers Running Back Aaron Jones Outside Top-10
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According to the ESPN poll, the top-10 running backs in the NFL are:
- Nick Chubb
- Christian McCaffrey
- Josh Jacobs
- Saquon Barkley
- Derrick Henry
- Jonathan Taylor
- Alvin Kamara
- Delvin Cook
- Tony Pollard
- Austin Eckler
Jones finished 11th in the voting for the second time in his career. Jeremy Fowler, who published the poll, also notes that Jones has finished in the top-ten twice before. He also wrote:
“He does everything really well, so if you’re looking for that well-rounded back with pass-catching ability, I could see how he’s a top 10,” an AFC scout said. “I’m just not sure he has the special qualities of some of the other backs.”
And so it seems that, like the younger skill position players on the Packers roster, Jones is going into 2023 with something to prove.
Green Bay Packers Running Back Aaron Jones Belongs on the Top-10 List
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While it is understandable that polls are merely a reflection of opinions, it is astounding how many running backs Jones performed better than that are listed on the top-10 list. Here are just a few examples:
2022 Rushing Yards for Jones- 1,121: more than…
- Tony Pollard (1,007)
- Austin Eckler (915)
- Alvin Kamara (897)
- Jonathan Taylor (861)*
*-injured
2022 Yards Per Carry for Jones- 5.3: better than…
- Tony Pollard (5.2)
- Nick Chubb (5.1)
- Josh Jacobs (4.9)
- Christian McCaffrey (4.7)
- Austin Eckler (4.5)
- Jonathan Taylor (4.5)
- Saquon Barkley (4.4)
- Delvin Cook (4.4)
- Derrick Henry (4.4)
- Alvin Kamara (4.0)
That’s all of them. Jones had a better YAC than every single running back in the top-10.
2022 PFF Overall Grade for Jones- 86.1: better than…
- Derrick Henry (85.9)
- Saquon Barkley (80.3)
- Austin Eckler (80.0)
- Alvin Kamara (72.5)
- Delvin Cook (68.1)
- Jonathan Taylor (67.6)
Of course, Jones had just two rushing touchdowns last season due to Aaron Rodgers refusing to allow the running backs to run the ball within the red zone. That may have hurt Jones in the eyes of those polled.
Speaking of Rodgers, Jones Had 395 receiving yards in 2022: more than…
- Tony Pollard (371)
- Saquon Barkley (338)
- Delvin Cook (295)
- Nick Chubb (239)
- Jonathan Taylor (163)*
*-injured
And since receiving came into the conversation:
2022 Receiving Touchdowns for Jones- Five: as many or more than…
- Christian McCaffery (five)
- Austin Eckler (five)
- Tony Pollard (three)
- Alvin Kamara (two)
- Delvin Cook (two)
- Nick Chubb (one)
- Derrick Henry (zero)
- Josh Jacobs (zero)
- Saquon Barkley (zero)
- Jonathan Taylor (zero)*
*-injured
Again, that’s everyone in the top-10.
If Jones is missing “special qualities” as the unnamed scout said he was, one has to wonder what those might be.
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