Robert Griffin III believes Packers RB Aaron Jones is underrated, and he may be right
When you think about the best running backs in the NFL right now, there are probably several names that come to mind. Is Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones one of those names, though?
For many pundits, it seems as if Jones slides in mid-tier somewhere behind Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey and perhaps before Nick Chubbs and Ezekiel Elliott, among other running backs.
There is a case to be made, though, that Jones is an elite running back.
Robert Griffin III, former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback-turned-talking head, certainly thinks so.
The numbers have pointed that out over the past few seasons. His breakout season, 2019, saw him rush for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he followed that up with a 2020 season that saw him rush for 1,104 yards and nine scores.
That's great, no matter how you shake it out, but Jones was part of a pass-heavy offense that centered around four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and his ability to sling the football. Any discussion centered around the Packers' offense started and ended with Rodgers, and Jones — as good as he was — seemingly got overshadowed.
If he was overshadowed then, Jones seemingly became even more of an "afterthought" nationally when the Packers drafted A.J. Dillon in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and especially after he had his breakout season in 2021 with 803 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Jones' football stock has comfortably slid into part of a package deal with Dillon ever since, but that's discrediting a huge part of his game. Jones has been one of the better receiving backs in the NFL over the past few seasons, and when he's involved in the gameplan and running routes, there are few players who present the complete package like him.
He's like Christian McCaffrey if he stayed healthy for his whole career, and Jones has 1,812 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in his bag to prove it — including five touchdowns this season.
Whether as a pure running back, a screen-catcher or a route-runner, Jones has proven to be one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the NFL since 2019.
He's notched 6,912 total offensive yards over six seasons and he doesn't appear to be slowing down.
Respect the name, respect the game. Aaron Jones is the real deal.
More must-reads: