The Green Bay Packers seem to have found their franchise running back in Aaron Jones. Jones was having an impressive 2018 season before he suffered a sprained MCL later in the season.
The Packers have been searching for a workhorse back since Ryan Grant left the team in 2009. Since then, guys like Brandon Jackson, James Starks, Alex Green, Eddie Lacy, Ty Montgomery, and Jamaal Williams have started at running back.
Most notably, Lacy was a huge disappointment after having a ton of hype surrounding him coming out of Alabama. Lacy had flashes of being great in Green Bay but he lacked work ethic.
Now, the Packers don't need to worry about who to start in the backfield. Jones is set to put people on notice—beginning in 2019. Here are three way-too-early bold predictions for the young Packers running back in 2019.
3. 50+ Receptions
In the Packers offense under Mike McCarthy, Jones wasn't utilized much in the passing game. Although, he drastically improved his production in the receiving game in 2018.
In his rookie season in 2017, Jones only had nine receptions for 22 yards while starting in four games. Then, in 2018, he caught 26 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown.
He also improved his catch percentage from 50% in 2017 to 74.3% in 2018. Jones definitely worked on his ability to catch the ball in hopes he could become a back who can be on the field every down.
With Matt LaFleur arriving as the new head coach, expect Jones to be even more involved in the aerial attack. Jones will catch over 50 passes in 2019—jumping into the conversation of top running backs in the NFL.
2. 15+ Rushing Touchdowns
The only thing that can stop Aaron Jones seemed to be Mike McCarthy. In his two seasons in the NFL, Jones has averaged a crazy 5.5 yards per carry in both seasons.
He makes a ton of big plays and is a tough runner after contact. Again, with LaFleur calling the shots, Jones will be incorporated into the offense more consistently in the upcoming season.
That means more scoring opportunities for the dynamic running back in 2019. In the last two seasons, Jones has a combined 12 rushing touchdowns in his short career.
Eight of those touchdowns came in 2018. Jones will score more touchdowns in 2019 than he has in his whole career so far. Therefore, Jones will likely be near the top of the NFL in rushing touchdowns.
1. 1,750+ Yards From Scrimmage
People are going to realize just how good Aaron Jones is this upcoming season. Hopefully he can come back fully healthy and maintain his health in 2019.
Jones is going to become one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL. A career year is in store for Jones—especially with a bright, offensive mind in LaFleur arriving.
Last season, Jones had 934 yards from scrimmage in eight starts. That number jumped from 470 to 934 from 2017 to 2018.
Like his rushing touchdowns, he has 1,404 yards from scrimmage in his career and he will surpass that in 2019 alone. If he didn't get hurt in 2018, he would've had one of the best seasons for running backs in the NFL.
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