SUU's Braxton Jones making waves, getting NFL looks at Reese's Senior Bowl practices

This past week down in Mobile, Alabama, Southern Utah University offensive tackle Braxton Jones has been competing against some of the top talent in the Reese's Senior Bowl in preparation for the 2022 NFL Draft.

This past fall, Jones anchored the Southern Utah offensive line and was an All-Big Sky First Team selection, a Hero Sports FCS All-American selection, and an Associated Press FCS First Team All-America selection.

Jones's NFL hopes started to rise in 2019 when he was named a Sophomore All-American by HERO Sports and named to the All-Big Sky Third Team in 2019. After COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 fall season, Jones was named an All-Big Sky First Team selection and Phil Steel First Team All-American.

Even with the positive momentum building for Jones, he wasn't sure if he'd be invited to the Senior Bowl.

"There was some chatter on Twitter that I would maybe be selected or something like that but I didn't know for sure," Jones said. "Coach Demario Warren, he presented it to me and it was just a great accomplishment for me and the people around me."

Jones, a redshirt junior, gradually made his decision to declare for the draft as the season progressed, and his performance on the field stayed at high levels.

"The decision kind of came throughout the season," Jones said. "I wasn't really like, 'oh yeah, I'm going to do this or that', I just let the work talk for me."

Since the end of Southern Utah's season, Jones has been training at Exos Training Facility in Phoenix with former NFL guard Mike Pollak, refining his technique — including working on not oversetting — and improving on his strength in his lower half.

"At the end of the season, my body composition wasn't as good as I wanted it to be," said Jones. "Being in perfect condition for a game like this and a week like this is very important."

Jones also changed his diet and his food preparation in order to improve his body.

Jones checked into the Senior Bowl at 6-foot-5, 306 pounds with a 36-inch arm length.

A quick Twitter search of Jones at the Senior Bowl shows that he's been holding his own in Senior Bowl practices this week against some of the top pass-rushing talent in the draft, at some of colleges football's biggest NFL factories.

"My biggest goal obviously is to show that I belong at that level of talent," Jones said in an interview last Saturday. "Every day, make sure that I'm getting better and learning from my mistakes the day before and overall seeing sightline progression at the Senior Bowl."

While Jones admits that he has a chip on his shoulder due to his small-school FCS status, he knows that his being invited to the Senior Bowl proves that he belongs with those who have been in the national spotlight.

Jones will look to put a bow on his strong week on Mobile on Saturday in the Senior Bowl game.

Alongside performance on the field, Jones will likely meet with scout throughout the week as part of the pre-draft process.

"These teams are looking to draft you and put a lot of interest and money into you and it's just another great opportunity," Jones said.

With a good performance on Saturday to cap off the Senior Bowl, Jones may become the first Thunderbird drafted since Miles Killebrew and LeShaun Sims were drafted in 2016.

Killebrew was selected in the fourth round, 111th overall by the Detroit Lions. Killebrew now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sims was selected in the fifth round, 157th overall by the Tennessee Titans.

Sean Ellertson is a sports reporter for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News. To continue to support his work, please subscribe to The Spectrum. Follow Sean on Twitter @SeanEllertson.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: SUU Braxton Jones making waves at Reese's Senior Bowl practices