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College Football

1980 NFL Draft · Rd 5 · #122 overall

Paul Jones California Draft

Paul Jones was drafted No. 122 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1980 NFL Draft out of California. No regular-season snaps on record.

Overall pick
#122
Round
5
Draft class
1980

The pick

How Paul Jones came off the board in 1980.

Drafted by

Minnesota Vikings

Rd 5 · #122 overall · NFC North

Full 1980 draft class (333 picks)
Position
Running back RB
College
California ACC at the draft
Side of the ball
Offense

NFL career

No regular-season snaps on record.

No regular-season career on record yet.

Games, starts, and approximate value appear here once the season data lands.

See the rest of the 1980 class

Around pick 122

Who came off the board on either side of Paul Jones.

#120 Tommie Ginn C · DET Arkansas #121 Doug Paschal RB · MIN North Carolina #123 Jim Zidd LB · NYJ Kansas #124 Doug McDougald DE · NE Virginia Tech

California in the 1980 draft

Teammates who went in the same class.

#52 Daryle Skaugstad NT · TEN California #185 Joe Rose TE · MIA California #243 Greg Bracelin LB · DEN California

Other RB picks from California

The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.

#12 Marshawn Lynch RB · BUF · 2007 California · 1× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl #233 Justin Forsett RB · SEA · 2008 California · 1× Pro Bowl #56 Shane Vereen RB · NE · 2011 California #30 Jahvid Best RB · DET · 2010 California #44 J.J. Arrington RB · ARI · 2005 California #208 Adimchinobe Echemandu RB · CLE · 2004 California

About this draft profile

Last updated Aug 24, 2026

Paul Jones in the 1980 NFL Draft

Paul Jones is a Running back out of California selected No. 122 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1980 NFL Draft. No regular-season snaps on record. California has produced 138 NFL draft picks since 1980.

Where this data comes from

Pick order and career outcomes come from the nflverse draft archive; position, measurables, and conference at the time of the draft come from the college feed. Career columns stay empty until a player logs regular-season snaps.

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Frequently asked questions

Where was Paul Jones drafted?

Paul Jones was selected No. 122 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1980 NFL Draft (Rd 5). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1980/paul-jones.

What college did Paul Jones play for?

Paul Jones played college football at California in the ACC. See every California draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/california-golden-bears.

How did Paul Jones's NFL career turn out?

No regular-season snaps on record. Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1980/paul-jones.