NFL Draft

1/11/25

6 min read

Emery Jones Jr. 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For LSU Tigers OT

LSU Tigers offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (50) lines up during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies.
LSU Tigers offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (50) lines up during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

Height: 6050 (unofficial)

Weight: 315lbs (unofficial)

Year: Junior

Pro Comparison: Lucas Niang

Scouting Overview

LSU Tigers right tackle Emery Jones Jr. projects as a physical run blocker at the NFL level. He’s a developmental talent who struggles with the rigors of blocking in space and will require notable development in his framing, center of gravity, strike technique & placement, and footwork.

It is easy to fall in love with his demeanor as a run blocker, and he brings the needed edge that can help to set the tone on an offensive front. Teams would be well within their right to explore him as a potential interior conversion project — but Jones Jr.’s base and hands need development in either role. As a result, he should be considered a developmental player who can push for a starting role by the back half of his rookie contract. 

2025 NFL Combine Results

TBD

Positives

  • Strong displacement skills with punch power to create creases for his running backs
  • Shows good leg drive and churn to uproot heavy anchors in solo blocks 
  • Illustrates some surprising lower body and core mobility for adjustments in space

Negatives

  • Hands can be late and errant with punches in pass set, allowing defenders to jolt his frame and collapse angles
  • Foot speed in pass sets on the edge is modest, and he can be tested with speed
  • Struggles with balance, base width, and mirror ability when playing in his pass sets

Background

Jones Jr. is from Baton Rouge, LA, and played high school football for Catholic HS. There, he was a football and basketball talent but shined brightest on the gridiron, earning All-State honors twice and being invited to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. A 4-star recruit, Jones Jr. garnered interest from a slew of programs, including Florida State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, and more. 

Jones Jr. stayed at home to play for his hometown LSU Tigers and, alongside left tackle recruit Will Campbell, claimed a starting role quickly upon his arrival to the program. Jones Jr. finished his LSU career with 36 starts in 38 appearances with the team and was named a Freshman All-American in 2022.

Jones Jr. was twice named Second Team All-SEC (2023 & 2024) and declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after the end of his junior season — foregoing his final year of eligibility with the program. 


LSU Tigers offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (50) defends the line against Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman R Mason Thomas (32) during the first quarter at Tiger Stadium.
LSU Tigers offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (50) defends the line against Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman R Mason Thomas (32) during the first quarter at Tiger Stadium. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images.

Tale Of The Tape

Jones Jr. has all the tools necessary to be an NFL starter. He boasts the frame, power, and tenacity required and has an impressive run-game presence that could be a featured calling card of his contributions to an NFL offense.

In the run game, Jones Jr. is relentless and displays a ton of urgency to create space. He’s territorial once he’s uprooted a defender off their spot and works as hard through the back half of the rep as he does through the initial charge and fit to keep his assignment eliminated from the equation. 

He has some impressive examples of finishing and could fill the role of pot-stirrer with how much he pushes the issue, even behind the play. It’s a storyline to monitor for potential unnecessary penalties but should be considered a positive — he can be a tone-setting player.

LSU has run behind him in some key spots, be it solo blocks to turn out an end, double team combinations to wash as 3T and climb to the linebacker, or as a puller on GT Power and charging him with wrapping up into the hole for the first color he finds. This is the kind of player with the kind of power that you can trust in "got to have it" moments in short yardage. 

Jones Jr. wins his run game opportunities with good overall power, necessary leg drive, and a stiff punch. His hands are a central theme of all the places he can get better, and he will require better accuracy and discipline in where he fits his hands at the next level for better control of blocks. One of his most impressive qualities is that he always seems to find another gear of traction with his leg drive and power once latched onto a body. 

His play in space is insufficient for playing opportunities at the NFL level, and Jones Jr. will need to become a more controlled player. He’s overactive at times in space, does not have great lateral mobility, and appears not to trust his length, his feet, or his gravitational pull to secure blocks in the open area. This includes vertical sets on the edge in pass protection or when trying to address defenders on the second level. 

Jones Jr.’s feet are eager to move towards a defender’s momentum, but as a result, he’ll often over-commit, and recovery efforts in these instances deconstruct his base. He’s caught at times with his hips as a swinging gate, he’s caught untethered to the ground through first contact, or his feet are far too narrow, which gives him little power and base of support.

These issues could be mitigated by playing inside at guard, where Jones Jr. would be protected from steeper angles and longer landmarks. If he played inside and was charged with more short sets, it could help clean up his base. 

However, the hand strikes and anchor would still loom as concerns, and inside, he’s giving a more direct pathway to the quarterback. Players with power can get a full slab of ribs if they want far too often, as Jones Jr.’s hands aren’t consistent in shooting at the fringes of his strike area.

He needs significant development in this regard to protect his center of gravity and overall needs to be more rooted as a pass protector before he’s given the opportunity to play.


Ideal Scheme Fit, Role

Jones Jr. should be regarded as a developmental prospect. He has enough athleticism and power to be an asset in any variety of run schemes, and if you can polish up his hands at a faster rate than his feet, he may be suited better to play inside at guard.

The pass protection profile is concerning, regardless of whether it’s a play action, deep set, or quick-game-oriented scheme, and will be the defining variable if he realizes his notable potential. 


Grade: 72.50/100.00, Fourth Round Value

Big Board Rank: TBD

Position Rank: TBD


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