© Jerome Miron, USA TODAY
Aggies CB Jaylon Jones Impresses At Texas A&M Pro Day
COLLEGE STATION -- Jaylon Jones wanted to check off one major box Tuesday afternoon while running drills at Texas A&M's Pro Day; the speed element of his game.
Consider it checked following his 40-yard dash.
Jones, who started three seasons on the outside of the Aggies' defense, posted a 40-time of 4.4 seconds during his first attempt on the A&M Band’s drill field. Earlier this month in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, Jones ran a 4.57, a time he said he wasn't sufficient enough.
"I think I did well today," he said. "We'll see how it all turns out ... but it's a blessing to be here."
Jones also posted a 3-cone drill time of 7.0 seconds and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.3 seconds. The 4.3 20-yard shuttle time mirrored his exact time at the combine, while his 3-cone drill was actually .2 seconds slower in College Station than at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Scouts often take the best time for their measurements, meaning the slightly-slower time shouldn't be much of a concern. Jones said back at the combine that he would be willing to work safety drills in the pros if he would boost his chances of making the the final 53-man roster.
"I feel like I'm prepared," Jones said. "Coming through this program with Jimbo Fisher, along with all the other coaches, they definitely prepared us for the next level. Coming out here every day with blood, sweat and tears on this grass, that's real."
Jones, fellow defensive back Antonio Johnson and running back Devon Achane all performed drills in front of 32 NFL franchises Tuesday, both on the band's practice field and the Aggies' grass practice field. Fisher said that scouts wanted to see how the players would perform on both fields, so halfway through drills, the A&M athletic department began preparing the Coolidge grass practice fields for another set of reps.
“You’ve got to play football outside,” Achane said. “I kind of figured that since last year they took out the indoor, so I was coming out here to block out the wind. It was going to be cold, but games are cold, so you’ve got to be ready for anything.”
Achane, who eclipsed over 3,500 all-purpose yards during his three seasons with the program, is projected to be a mid-round pick. Johnson, who shined in the box as a physical defender while showing upside in coverage, should flirt with Day 1 buzz after running exceptionally well during drills Tuesday morning.
Jones, however, might need to wait a week before checking out mock drafts. After looking smooth in backpedal drills while working with one of four NFL defensive backs coaches in attendance, the projection should rise from Early 3 status.
In the latest CBS Sports mock draft, Jones last midway through the third round and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 82nd overall. In the newest mock by ESPN, Jones was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 99th pick.
In three years, Jones registered 98 tackles and finished with 12 passes defended to go along with three interceptions.
"(He's) tough, long, physical, he can play boundary (corner) and field," Fisher said of Jones. "I think, in time ... the guys like that who have size can go back and be a safety on the back end at the end of their careers ... I think he can do all that stuff."
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