Emery Jones Jr. is Football’s Version of Shaquille O’Neal

First Round Mock’s Rajvir Bal turns his attention to LSU offensive tackle (OT) Emery Jones Jr.

When it comes to the draft, I believe rebuilding always starts in the trenches.

What’s the point of a shiny new quarterback if they have no time to throw?

Even the greatest of quarterbacks can’t flourish with poor offensive line play. This brings us to my analysis of the 2025 offensive line class with LSU’s Emery Jones Jr.

Background

Jones was a 4-star recruit in high school and enrolled at LSU in the summer of 2022 (per 247Sports).

He plays opposite of fellow NFL left tackle draft prospect Will Campbell on the LSU offensive line. This past year the two of them blocked for Heisman-winning and eventual second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback Jayden Daniels (Commanders).

Jones is in the 56th (height) and 68th (weight) percentiles for the position (per NFLDraftBuzz).

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

#50 Emery Jones Jr. 6-foot-6, 322 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: (Mid) First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 56.2% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of August 14, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film reviewed: Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Florida, and 
Mississippi State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

The Good

Immediately when watching the film, one thing came to mind: Bully Ball. It’s a term used in the NBA and was associated with former Los Angeles Lakers Center Shaquille O’Neal. Bully Ball is when a basketball player uses their size and strength to dominate their opponents, specifically around and under the rim. This term reminds me of Jones Jr. because he uses his strength and size to dominate opponents around the LOS (line-of-scrimmage). He manhandles his opponents and is can be seen on film pancaking them or driving them significantly backward. Additionally, Jones is quick on his feet and gets into his fit rather quickly. Jones isn’t afraid to throw his weight around, and this makes him an extremely effective run blocker. On plays where he is the pulling tackle, he gets across the LOS quickly and can provide a more than solid lead block for his running back or quarterback. On passing plays, he is quick to kick-step and forms good pockets for his QB. Jones is easily one of the strongest linemen I have evaluated, and he is oozing with raw untapped potential.

The Bad

While Jones has all the potential in the world, on some plays his technique leaves much to be desired. Jones is quick and agile on one play, but on the next he will look clunky due to poor footwork. Too often he’ll stand up in his stance instead of staying low with a flat back. On running plays, there were more than a few plays where he was unable/unwilling to move his defender vertically, resulting in the defensive lineman maintaining his gap. He also too often allows defenders to come to him and lacks a head-hunting killer instinct I would like to see him have. Overall, he is very raw and still has an opportunity to improve technically.

Final Thoughts For Now

Jones is an intriguing prospect for an NFL team. He is one of the more physically gifted linemen I’ve seen, but he will need to be coached up.

He has the upside to be an All-Pro tackle in the NFL.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.