INDIANAPOLIS – Despite providing consistently solid play as Ohio State’s starting left tackle for the past two seasons, Jamarco Jones never received much national recognition, nor he has garnered a great deal of attention in the weeks leading up to the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine.
Jones, however, doesn’t mind it that way.
"I always say that I thought it was pretty good if a lineman can stay under-the-radar, because that means you’re probably not messing up too much," Jones said Thursday during his NFL Scouting Combine press conference at the Indiana Convention Center.
Jones would appear to have the repeated history of not messing up much that can make an offensive tackle a first-round pick or close to it, but Jones hasn’t shown up in many first-round projections for the 2018 NFL draft so far. Jones, who checked in at 6-foot-4 and 299 pounds during his weigh-in at the combine on Wednesday, believes his measurables might have something to do with that.
"I know I’m not the ideal height, I would say, for a tackle," Jones said.
Jones’ wingspan, which measured in at 85 1/8 inches on Wednesday, helps make up for that. Jones believes his athleticism, which he’ll have the opportunity to showcase during his on-field workout at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday, also helps make up for that.
"I’m not necessarily 6-7, but I have the arm span of some of the guys who are 6-7, so that definitely helps me well," Jones said. "And I think I move my feet pretty well on the edge when it comes to pass blocking and things like that."
If any NFL scouts still aren’t sold on Jones’ ability to play offensive tackle, however, he wants them to know that he can also play on the interior offensive line.
"I think I can play tackle and guard in the league," Jones said. "I’ll do whatever a team wants me to do."
Since his Ohio State career came to an end in December, Jones has been training for the NFL Scouting Combine with former Ohio State center LeCharles Bentley – alongside fellow 2018 draft hopeful and former Ohio State center Billy Price – at his facility, O-Line Performance, in Arizona.
Jones initially accepted an opportunity to play in January’s East-West Shrine Game, but decided to bow out of that game in order to focus on his training with Bentley for the combine.
"I knew I had a lot of stuff I wanted to work on," Jones said. "I wanted to put myself in the best position to succeed once I get to the NFL, and I feel like I can do a lot as far as training and just getting prepared for that next step."
While Jones opted not to participate in the bench press on Thursday, deciding to hold off on that drill until Ohio State’s pro day on March 22, he said he is planning to participate in all on-field drills with the offensive linemen on Friday.
Jones is looking to follow in the footsteps of a long line of Ohio State left tackles who have gone on to succeed in the NFL, including his direct predecessor, current Detroit Lions starting left tackle Taylor Decker – who has also been training with him at O-Line Performance – and Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Orlando Pace, who he had the opportunity to chat with at the combine on Thursday.
From Pace to Bentley to Decker, Jones has appreciated having the opportunity to learn from those Buckeye greats, and he’s motivated to follow in their footsteps successfully.
"You want to continue that success," Jones said. "OSU has a long history of offensive linemen, in general, going to the NFL and producing, and just being able to gain some insight from those guys that have been there before me, and use it to my benefit, and hopefully help prolong my career."
In addition to those players who previously wore the scarlet and gray, Jones says he also looks up to Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas – who he considers to be "one of the best tackles of all-time" – and Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith, and he says he tries to emulate his game after them.
“I think I can play tackle and guard in the league. I’ll do whatever a team wants me to do.”– Jamarco Jones
Over the course of his career at Ohio State, in which he was coached on the offensive line for two years by Ed Warinner and another two years by Greg Studrawa, Jones said he learned that "technique is very important when it comes to O-line play," and he’s continued to work on trying to perfect his technique in his training with Bentley.
What did you think of Ed Warinner going to Michigan? Jamarco Jones: It was surprising, I cant lie about that, but I wish him the best. On Michigans recruiting graphic featuring players Warinner coached at OSU: It was kind of funny, The Team Up North claiming some Buckeyes.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) March 1, 2018
Jones also credits Mickey Marotti, Ohio State’s director of football sports performance, as well as Urban Meyer and the rest of the Buckeyes’ coaching staff, with preparing him both physically and mentally to succeed as a Buckeye and now, to take the next step to the NFL.
"Coach Mick, he’s the best strength coach in the country, and so he takes pride in, especially with the offensive and defensive linemen, developing us in the weight room and a lot of it really is mental, how much you can push yourself when you think you can’t do any more and things like that," Jones said. "And also in practice, with Coach Meyer and the other coaching staff, they just try to push you to your limits until you can realize how to deal with things and push past those points."
Jones feels prepared to play in the NFL because of his experiences as a Buckeye, and now, he has the opportunity to prove it. And the significance of that, being at the combine with the top draft prospects throughout the country, is not lost on him.
"It’s just like a dream come true," Jones said. "Been looking forward to this for awhile, since we started playing football, the opportunity to do this. And so it’s just kind of surreal being here."
