Will the 49ers Claim CB Jack Jones off Waivers?

A quality cornerback may have just fallen into the 49ers' lap.

The Patriots have waived cornerback Jack Jones, who was excellent for them as a rookie just last season. This season, he reportedly fell out of favor with the coaching staff, then missed curfew on Nov. 4 the night before a game against the Washington Commanders. He also had a gun charge that was dropped.

Jones clearly has made some mistakes, but he's not a criminal, and he's a good young cornerback. And the 49ers desperately need one of those, because they don't have a quality No. 3 cornerback. They have Isaiah Oliver and Ambry Thomas, and both are liabilities. Oliver is a liability in the slot, and Thomas is a liability on the outside.

Jones is not a liability. Last season, he started 13 games, intercepted 2 passes and gave up a quarterback rating of just 64.8. This season, his play slipped a bit, as he has started just five games and allowed a quarterback rating of 106.1. But he's still better than Oliver and Thomas. Much better.

Imagine Jones playing behind Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave, Chase Young, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Any cornerback would play better behind those excellent pass rushers and linebackers.

The 49ers most likely will have a slim chance to land Jones, because they're low in the waiver order and he's a good player who most likely will get claimed by a team that's higher in the waiver order. But if he falls to the 49ers, they should claim him. It's a no brainer.