Green Bay Packers: 2017 midseason rookie report card

Aaron Jones

Grade: A

The fifth-round pick started the year as the low man on the totem pole and wasn’t even activated in Week 1. But those who watched him perform in college and during the preseason were well aware of Jones’ intriguing skill set.

The first thing that jumps out at you is his elite burst. It’s the type of get-off that neither Ty Montgomery nor Jamaal Williams possess and allows Jones to quickly chew up yards in confined spaces.

But acceleration alone only gets you so far. The UTEP product also flashes enough physicality to gain yards after contact along with the type of vision to reverse course when his initial running lane shuts down.

In his 125-yard breakout outing versus the Cowboys, the rookie ball carrier broke 5 tackles and gained 54 of his 125 rushing yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

He topped those numbers two weeks later versus the Saints by breaking 2 tackles and gaining 62 of his 131 yards after contact, as per PFF.

Jones has cemented his status as the team’s feature running back who’ll be expected to continue taking on a sizable workload while Brett Hundley gets more comfortable behind center.