Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones often lost yards whenever he touched the ball during his rookie season. He also lost his confidence.

The second-pick from The University of Southern California was supposed to be the Buccaneers' home run hitter, a big-play running back who had explosive runs for the Trojans.

Only 21, Jones’ rookie year was a disaster. He finished with 44 yards on 23 carries (1.9 yard average) and one touchdown. He also caught seven passes for 33 yards.

This year, Jones is again expected to be the No. 2 tailback behind Peyton Barber, the team’s leading rusher in 2018 with 871 yards and five touchdowns. This time he knows what to expect.

“Rojo had 23 carries on the season and 13 of those he got hit at or behind the line of scrimmage,’’ Bucs running backs coach Todd McNair said via the Tampa Bay Times. “So the biggest thing with him is restoring his confidence. I think once we start getting him to the second level clean. You know, a guy comes out of college, USC is a high-profile program. A second round pick and he doesn’t have a lot of success. I’ve seen it happen before and his confidence goes way down. With him its baby steps and working our approach.’’

Whether Jones can outplay Barber for the lead role in the backfield remains to be seen, but, at a minimum, he should be able to find a niche as the team's third-down back as a blocker and pass catcher.