UConn’s Jones picked by Ravens
He might have fallen a bit further than the NFL Draft pundits had projected him, but New Haven's Travis Jones said he never worried about where he was picked.
“Nah, I never concerned myself with that,” the former Wilbur Cross and University of Connecticut defensive lineman said via video conference from his New Haven home Friday night after the Baltimore Ravens chose him with the 12th pick in the third round and 76th overall.
“I was just happy I was picked by the right team and the right fit right now.”
Regardless, Jones became Wilbur Cross' first NFL draft pick and the first drafted from a New Haven high school since Hyde's Bruce Campbell in 2010, who was taken by the Raiders in the fourth round. Both players were coached by John Acquavita.
Jones learned of his selection during an intimate family gathering which included three former Wilbur Cross teammates, his grandparents, sister, nephew and his mother. “The reaction was everyone was happy for me,” he said.”My momma was crying and stuff… It was a great experience.”
Jones was projected by a number of mock drafts to go somewhere in the second round. Acquavita, still the head coach at Wilbur Cross, said he was told Jones could go as high as 31st, but more likely in the mid-to-late 60s.
Yet, Jones was one of the highest-rated players remaining on the board as the draft entered the third round Friday night. Jones wound up being the fourth pure defensive lineman – as opposed to edge pass rushers – picked on the second night.
The Ravens also picked edge linebacker David Ojabo out of Michigan early in the second round.
He followed Houston DE Logan Hall (Tampa Bay), Kentucky DE Joshua Paschal (Detroit) and Alabama DT Phidarian Mathis (Washington), all of whom were selected in the second round.
Acquavita, too, was surprised that Jones fell as far as he did. But he's convinced that will only make Jones' even more determined to succeed in the NFL.
“Travis is going to have a chip on his shoulder like a cinderblock,” Acquavita said. “That's a dangerous person with a chip on his shoulder. That's a dangerous man.”
Listed on UConn's pro day at 6-foot-4, 327 pounds, Jones was in on 47 tackles in his junior year to finish his Huskies career with 133, 19 for a loss, including eight and a half sacks. He was invited to the Senior Bowl as a fourthyear junior.
Projected as an NFL nose tackle, Jones saw his draft stock steadily climb during his four years with the Huskies, and it skyrocketed with strong performances in February at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Combine in March.
“It would be big for me, making it to the league and having New Haven on my back and having little kids look up to me,” Jones told Hearst Connecticut Media at UConn's pro day in March.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said Jones: “is a player that I noticed for the first time at the Senior Bowl. He's a powerfully built guy and he was unblockable that week. … He can play multiple spots on the defensive side. He's a great scheme fit for us.”
DeCosta added his defensive line coach, Anthony Weaver, “really sees the potential with this guy” and stood on the table to get Jones drafed for the Ravens.
Many said Jones was probably the best nose tackle during the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. At the combine in Indianapolis, he further showcased his unique athletic gifts, running a 4.92-second 40-yard dash and a 4.58second 20-yard shuttle. He had a broad jump of 110 inches and a vertical jump of 28.5. All of those times or measurements were in the top five for interior linemen.
After a stellar freshman year at UConn, Jones lost 14 pounds to get even quicker. He was listed three pounds lighter on UConn's roster this past fall.
“He's down to 13 percent body fat, now,” said Acquavita, remembering the talented, massive but chubby kid who dominated as a two-way lineman on the grass field at Wilbur Cross.
“See, that's the thing the scouts won't know: He's going to outwork the next guy at training camp. He's going to beat him out. He's not going to be at the casino or the nightclub. He's going to work, go home, go to bed and get up and work again.
“He's a machine. He enjoys the grind.”
UConn defensive coordinator Lou Spanos, who spent 22 seasons as an NFL assistant coach before joining in the Huskies prior to Jones' sophomore season of 2019, told Hearst Connecticut why he thought Jones would be successful in the NFL.
“First and foremost, high football instincts, the measurables, the length, the speed, the explosion,” said Spanos, who served as interim coach for the final 10 games last season. “On and off the field, that makes a successful professional. That's what Travis Jones is. He is going to be a dynamic NFL player.”
Jones had committed to Rutgers before reversing and committing to UConn instead. He had several other Division I offers.
At Wilbur Cross, Jones was picked as an offensive lineman for the New Haven Register All-State Team in 2017 among numerous other honors.
Acquavita remembers being convinced that Jones would excel on the defensive side at UConn, which eventually happened when he moved from guard to defensive line “to fill a void.”
“It worked out pretty good for me,” Jones said.