Dallas Cowboys NFL draft series: Arkansas running back Felix Jones

Size: 6-0, 200
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.47

POSITIVES

Felix Jones, who played second fiddle to Darren McFadden at Arkansas, is a spectacular open-field runner with excellent speed, burst and elusiveness. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry during his college career, better than any major college back since Army's Glenn Davis in the 1940s. He's also an outstanding kickoff returner, averaging 28.2 yards per return for the Razorbacks. He's not a power runner, but Jones has a knack for bouncing off of tacklers, especially on the perimeter.

COWBOY FIT

He'd be an outstanding change of pace to Marion "The Barbarian" Barber's bruising style. Felix Jones is used to making the most out of limited opportunities, and he'd give the Cowboys a breakway threat in the running game. He'd also provide a major boost to the special teams as a kick returner. Jones' biggest blemish as far as the Cowboys go is that he might not immediately be ready to assume the third-down back role.

ARKANSAS RB COACH TIM HORTON

"I think he can be an everydown back. He has all the attributes you're looking for. He's a good pass protector. He's deceivingly strong and deceivingly bigger than you think when you look at him. He's got a really big set of legs on him. ... You very, very rarely get a clean shot on him. Felix doesn't get near as many direct hits as Darren McFadden does. I don't think there's any doubt that he can and will handle [being a feature back]. ... If we were very smart, we would have given [the ball] to him more. He averaged over nine yards per carry. We didn't get it to him enough. He is such an explosive player. ... He's not a punt returner. He struggles to catch a punt. He'll catch about 85 percent of them, but you've got to have a guy better than 85 percent back there. ... He's got the feel - whatever 'it' is, he's got it. Anytime you get him the ball in space, something good is going to happen. ... He's maybe not as fast as Darren McFadden, but heck, who is? He's got really, really good speed. ... Good, not great [hands]. He generally caught the ball well in games, but every once in awhile, he'd drop a ball in practice that would make you think, 'What the heck?' ... The thing about Felix is all the intangibles he brings to the table. He is really a first-class kid. He's got that personality or charisma about him. The thing that everybody at Arkansas will remember about Felix is his smile. He's fun to be around. ... He's one of the ultimate team guys I've ever been around, but at the same time, he's very competitive. If things weren't going well and he was on the sideline, he'd say, 'Get me in there.'"

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