What Zay Jones Brings to Arizona Cardinals

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals recently inked WR Zay Jones to a one-year, $4.25 million deal. The veteran receiver spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, although his 2023 campaign only saw him collect 321 yards over nine games.

Jones measures in at 6-foot-2, 201 pounds. GM Monti Ossenfort is staying true to his desire to add size to the receiver room and raise not only the floor of the group's production, but add both big play and contested catch potential. A veteran presence like Jones brings both of those things to a room filled with generally young players like Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch.

Jones' production is less than consistent, and he's never had a 1,000-yard season, but that doesn't tell the story of his value as a player.

From 2020-2022, he logged at or over 10 yards per reception. That translated to around or above seven yards per target. Even in a down year in 2023, his average per reception sat at 9.4, so the production rate didn't suffer as a result of his lack of volume. In 2022, he recorded 44 first down receptions, and he possesses an otherworldly catch radius, with an ability to go way outside his body position to bring down improbable receptions.

Where there does lie some concern is in the drop department. In 2022, he posted a career-high 82 receptions for 823 yards. Unfortunately, he dropped 13 balls, which translated to an unsightly 10.7% drop rate. As concerning as that may be, 2022 was the only season in which he recorded more than three drops, so it's not a reflection of volume.

Despite the drop problem, he does have excellent hands and insane agility. The big play potential is there, and if he does combat the drop problem, he could profile as an excellent clutch target in the red zone and in 3rd and 4th down situations.

Jones won't be much of a primary target, with Harrison Jr. being set as the de facto X receiver. Wilson, if he can stay healthy, showed plenty of positive development as well. Dortch is set to take on primary slot duties, and Chris Moore and Zach Pascal will still have a role as well.

But Gannon and Ossenfort value versatility, variety and depth of both talent and character. These attributes alone make Jones an unsurprising fit in the desert. Jones is a positive, hardworking player who brings good vibes and a steady work ethic to the field and the locker room. He'll fit in well in a variety of roles, and his agility and catch radius allow for the Cardinals to widen their schemes for situational play calls.

Sure, a guy like Harrison might be the primary target, but if the Cardinals elect to go for a four-WR set, or give some of their big playmakers a play or two off, they know Jones can step up and be a productive player without complaint about a slightly limited role.

Jones might not have the bulk needed to overpower cornerbacks, but he does have a knack for smoothly sliding into holes in the defense. This alone makes him a good complement to the likes of Harrison, but the Cardinals needed guys who could find ways to get open without simply being speedsters.

While players like Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown were able to outrun defenders, they rarely found creative ways to find the soft spots in defenses. Jones doesn't bring blazing speed, but brings the agility and quick-twitch smoothness and body control to be able to produce without raw athleticism.

Ultimately, the Cardinals should be very confident in their top three receivers in Harrison, Wilson and Dortch. But depth is a premium asset in the NFL, and Jones brings just that to a room that has been steadily raising both its floor and ceiling.

In the event of an injury, or even just a 5-6 receiver rotation, Jones brings size and starting-caliber competency to the Cardinals, whose offense continues to get scarier by the day.