Jones caught a deep ball in Saturday's rookie minicamp practice and was frequently targeted in Friday's opening session, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Jones hauled in 32 receptions in 40 career games at USC, but his speed and aptitude in space afford him plenty of upside as a pass catcher at the NFL level. Laine notes that the second-round pick was mostly targeted on screens and checkdowns Friday, but he got downfield Saturday for a long reception. He'll have opportunities to potentially line up wide in head coach Dirk Koetter's offense during the coming season, which dovetails perfectly with Jones' stated goal of becoming more of a receiving threat heading into his first professional campaign, according to Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site. Regardless, the easier path to playing time in Jones' rookie season will be on early downs, as the Bucs already have a pair of experienced pass-catching backs in Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers. The team likely intends to have Jones compete against Peyton Barber for carries, with the rookie boasting a clear edge in terms of athletic measurables and pure running ability.
