Finding Broncos: Marcus Jones | CB

Measurements

Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 174 pounds
Arms: 28-7/8 inches
Hands: 8-7/8 inches

Stats

Pros

Jones is such an explosive and twitched-up athlete, and he shows that in coverage and as a returner.
Played some reps as a receiver and showed up exceptionally well.
As a returner, he can be a home run hitter with nine returns for touchdowns.
He plays much bigger than he is and doesn't shy away from the physical side.
He is quick to trigger downhill and doesn't shy away from tackling, though he goes to wrap up the legs.
There is elite suddenness as a returner that could translate to offense and working in space.
He is a smooth mover and changes direction quickly without wasted movement.
He is scrappy as a corner and can visibly agitate receivers throughout their routes.
There is no hitch with his change of direction.
He does well to crowd the receiver and use the sideline as an extra defender.
Directs traffic and works routes back to his teammates.
He has good instincts in coverage that work exceptionally well in zone.
For his size, he has good range to challenge the catch point.
When he changes direction, he doesn't lose speed.
Could be a versatile playmaker and even get reps on offense.

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Cons

He has historically short arms, which will be a problem with bigger receivers.
With the lack of length, he has to have tricks up his sleeve to handle it.
There isn't much anticipation with his coverage.
He has a bad habit of panicking on deeper coverage.
Had surgery on both of his shoulders.
His eyes in coverage don't stay balanced between the quarterback and the receiver.
There is a habit of getting grabby on deeper coverages.
While he plays bigger than he is, the overall lack of size shows frequently.
Plenty of reps where he was boxed out easily by bigger receivers.
Faced a challenge against Cincinnati and Alec Pierce and struggled.

Overview

Marcus Jones is an undersized defensive back that is an elite playmaker on special teams as a returner and a great one on defense. However, his lack of length is a major concern as he has historically short arms, with the third shortest arms measure for a corner in over 20 years. It will limit him to working in the slot only, but NFL offenses are using bigger receivers in the slot more often, making Jones work in the slot even more challenging.

Watching his reps on offense this past season, Jones could be viewed as a playmaking weapon in multiple phases. However, with the concerns about his length, that may be the best way to utilize him consistently while playing matchmaker with him on defense. The lack of length is a significant concern, and surgery on both shoulders makes the concern even more severe.

Fit with Broncos

Many aspects link Marcus Jones to the Broncos, with his ability in the slot and as a returner. Denver needs to find a reliable returner, which they have missed for a while, and while they signed K'Waun Williams, they could use additional depth in the slot. On top of that, Williams will be 31 years old and have injury concerns.

Jones could be that depth piece and future piece at the position while bringing his returning ability. They could get creative with his usage and try him on offense. He is such a twitched-up athlete that you want to use him however possible in space.

Denver has injury concerns at the corner position, which could be a reason why they stay away from Jones. He fits with the scheme, what they need, and what they look for in slot corners. So much rides on his medical examination with his shoulders, not just with Denver but every team.

Grade: Mid Round

Where he Goes: Early/Mid Round 4

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