Matt Jones joined the Jags on Aug. 2 after a brief holdout at the beginning of training camp. AP

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Put him in helmet and shorts and Matt Jones could almost blend in with the other Jacksonville Jaguars going through the paces of mid-morning practice at their Alltel Stadium complex.

If he weren't 6-foot-6, with 4.3 speed and basketball-like jumping ability, and people could ease up on describing the rookie receiver's potential in novel ways, that is.

"He's just like a freak, man,'' Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich said Monday. "Everybody on this planet knows what kind of athlete he is and what he's capable of doing.''

Added Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio: "He's unique in terms of what he brings and what he represents. He's a natural playmaker, and he just has special qualities about him.''

And this succinct summation from new Jags offensive coordinator Carl Smith, the man charged with figuring out how to best use Jones' rare collection of skills: "He does get your mind going.''

Jones, the Arkansas quarterback turned receiver, was the draft's biggest curiosity piece this year -- an X-factor in waiting. His boom-bust quotient was deemed the draft's highest, given that he'll be learning a new position in the NFL, but the Jaguars couldn't resist and took him 21st overall.

So what have the Jags gotten for their bold gamble, and how will they use their new offensive toy? Since it's so early in Jones' education as a receiver, expectations are being tempered for now. Jacksonville is taking pains not to ask too much of a player who has been throwing passes instead of catching them for most of his football career.

"He still is something of a curiosity piece,'' Smith said. "We don't know any more than you do and we're just taking it a day at a time with him. We know he's tall. We know he's got great hands. We know he's fast and we love his competitiveness and his confidence. But we're just going a little slow because it's a huge change for him.''

When Jacksonville's season opens Sept. 11 at home against Seattle, don't expect to see the 22-year-old Jones on the field much. The Jags plan is to find very specific ways to use him, with a set of plays and packages that he has proven he can handle. Simple fades and lob patterns will no doubt be his calling card for a while, to use his superior jumping ability. But Jacksonville also wants to get him the ball in space to take advantage of his game-changing straight-line speed.

"If fades and lobs are what work best, that's what we're going to do,'' said Smith, laughing. "This summer at the beach I probably spent time daydreaming about how to use him. But now it's can we get him to run a hook route? Can we get him to run an out? Can we get him to run an in? Can we get him to block the safety? Because I don't think he had to do too much of that at Arkansas?''

Jones for now is working with the Jags' second and third-team receivers in practice, usually in three- or four-wide sets. It's no surprise his pattern-running is probably the weakest link in his game, and he's getting by mostly on pure athleticism. As gifted as Jones is athletically, that's a little like saying Brad Pitt slides by on his good looks alone. There's not a cornerback in the league Jones can't out-jump, and he has superior body control and suction cups for hands.