Josh Jones continues to show growth in preseason work

Two seasons ago the Arizona Cardinals took Houston Cougars left tackle Josh Jones in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He was sparingly used and saw only 55 snaps along the offensive line his rookie season as he had to learn to play the NFL game.

In 2021 he played 853 snaps at right guard and right tackle, improving his playing time, but struggling with the physicality of the NFL game.

The way we know that is because in those 853 snaps, Jones was called for 13 penalties, including four holding and five false start penalties.

Now, in year three of his growth and work he is showing real progress.

One of the biggest things about the “new NFL” is the lack of time coaches have to spend teaching and developing. It is to the detriment of young players who come from spread offenses with little to no fundamental work in college.

So, the onus falls on the player.

We saw D.J. Humphries go through this and now Jones is following. Jones spent all offseason getting coached up and working on his technique, footwork and continuing to get stronger (the one thing NFL programs can control).

He has always been a fantastic athlete, but now he is learning the nuances of the game and becoming a fantastic football player.

Entering year three of his career, Jones is going to play behind Humphries and Kelvin Beachum, but he is ready to spring into action whenever the team needs him, and there is little doubt that he will be ready for his big opportunity.