Maurice Jones Drew -- I've Dropped 15 Pounds ... I'll Be Ready to Kill It Next Season

Maurice Jones Drew is winning the battle of the bulge ... 'cause the Jacksonville Jaguars running back tells TMZ Sports he's dropped 15 POUNDS in the past 2 weeks ... and plans to keep it off.

A slimmer, trimmer MJD was out in NYC last night ... and told us why he deserves to be back in the running for top fantasy football RB next season -- and a lot of it has to do with this physique.

Maurice acknowledged that his 2013 season rubbed a lot of fantasy owners the wrong way ... but says, "It's a brand new off-season. Started working out ... I've lost 15 pounds in the last 2 weeks."

You can already see the difference -- it was just last May that MJD was out partying in Florida while smuggling what appeared to be a spare tire under his tank top.

Take THAT, Jenny Craig!