No. 4: Matt Jones | Wide Receiver |
|---|---|
Jacksonville Jaguars | 2005 - First Round |
Matt Jones is another Arkansas product who was drafted too early because of potential rather than production. Primarily a QB with the Razorbacks, he was drafted as a wide receiver by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2005 draft.
At Arkansas, Jones set the SEC record for rushing yards by a QB. But he wasn't a great passer so NFL teams weren't quite sure what to do with the talented athlete.
Many experts slammed Jacksonville for spending a first-round pick on a pass catcher who had never been a full-time wide receiver. Those criticisms proved to be warranted.
In his rookie year, Jones finished with 36 catches for 432 yards and five scores. The next year, he put up 41 receptions for 643 yards and four touchdowns.
In 2007, his production was even worse. He managed only 24 receptions for 317 yards and four TDs. In 2008, he rebounded with 65 catches for 761 yards in 12 games before being suspended for three games by the NFL for violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
In March of 2009, he was released by Jacksonville. He would spend 2009 out of the NFL before signing a one-year deal with Cincinnati in 2010. However, he was cut at the end of training camp never appearing in a game with the Bengals.
Sometimes teams get seduced by physical traits and unrealized potential. However, that often leads to mistakes as was the case with Jones who was a first-round project that wound up as a bust in the NFL because a team thought a full-time college QB could transition to WR at the highest level of the sport.