Jayson Jones is the Man in the Middle for Auburn Tigers

Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Jayson Jones is a mountain of a man in the middle of the Tigers defense.

Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Jayson Jones is a mountain of a man in the middle of the defense. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

When you usually envision nose tackles, shorter, heavier players usually come to mind. Auburn senior nose tackle Jayson Jones does not fit that mold. A mountain of a man at 6'6 and weighing 355 pounds, the dynamic differs for him and the rest of the Auburn defense.

Settling into the teeth of the defense for the last couple of years, Jones fully embraces the task of clogging the middle. Moreover, by the film, it appears as though he relishes the role and that signifies an unselfish teammate.

Phone Booth Fisticuffs

As many know, the role of a nose tackle is not typically a position of prestige. Stats will never jump off the page. Furthermore, fans and pundits alike do not derive any joy from the work that players like Jones put in.

Few marvel at his ability to not only lay hands on interior offensive linemen, but what happens next. As mentioned, the Calera, Ala. native towers over everyone on the field. 

However, the NFL has paid attention to interior linemen this year. An explosion of new money saw 12 defensive tackles get an average of at least $20-million per year.

As a result, that heft and power gets put to great use on the field, if not the stat sheet.. Jones strikes with a heavy-handed approach that will stand blockers up, clogging running lanes, forcing backs to shuffle and choose another avenue.

Not to mention, taking on doubles. Opposing linemen will double Jones, in an attempt to move him out of the gap, creating a hole for the back. Holding your ground for single play looks difficult. Now, imagine four quarters of that close-quarters physicality.

Late Improvement

In no uncertain terms, Auburn struggled stopping the run in October. They could not stop nosebleeds with an infinite supply of tissue. In three games, the Tigers gave up an average of 215.3 yards with a 4.96 yards per carry. Only possums suffered more tramplings. 

Teams saw fit to veer to the outside, bouncing outside and away from the interior. They muted Jones's impact by simply avoiding him. They literally chose the path of least resistance. Then, the opposing backers would clear the line and Auburn defenders would take the worst pursuit angles and whiff on tackles. 

Team Effort

For the Auburn Tigers to maximize Jayson Jones's skillset, the surrounding players must play better. Setting the edge comes in clutch when teams prefer to bounce outside. If not, teams will continue to play Red Rover with the line of scrimmage. 

Additionally, the linebackers and safeties need to exercise not only better discipline but awareness when stopping the run. Most FBS running backs can run right through arm tackles, so that does not work.  With this mind, while they can rest assured that Jayson Jones will do his job, others need to follow suit.