One of the pernicious problems living in a one-party, soviet style state like Alabama, is the strong social pressure on people to vote identity. It is not socially acceptable to be a white Democrat in Alabama. Even many black folks here assume all of their white friends are Republican.
Combine that with a basket case mess of a statewide democratic party and a lack of statewide office holders who can build a political base, and you’ve got a toxic, ugly, no-fun mess.
Democrats in Alabama now have a senate seat. Jones is a blue dog, but he is still an unashamed democrat. The seat may be vulnerable in 2020, but Jones has 4 years to fundraise, mobilize, build infrastructure, and revitalize the state party. Nothing motivates like victory, as any Alabama football fan knows.
I could believe Jones could get reelected in 2020, and a revitalized democratic pary cut the statewide partisan lean from +30R to about +15R in those four years. I’d even believe North Alabama could turn purple, and open up a competitive house seat.