Jack of All Trades: Arizona State CB Jones Brings Versatility to Patriots
FOXBORO - As the New England Patriots defensive backfield attempts to reach its quota of Joneses, former Arizona State cornerback Jack Jones is ready to get to work.
He is also ready to put the past behind him.
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New England opened the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by selecting the troubled-but-talented cornerback with the 121st overall pick.
The Patriots previously hosted Jones for a Top-30 workout in New England, as well as meeting with him twice during the draft evaluation period. The experience clearly had an impact on Jones, especially his visit to Foxboro.
“I had a good time out there, I enjoyed everything,” Jones told reporters via conference call on Saturday. “Everything was good when I went out there”
The 24-year-old is an intriguing prospect on the outside, with enough versatility to also play on the inside. He began his career at the University of Southern California. However, his time with the Trojans was short-lived due to academic ineligibility issues and legal difficulties.
California police arrested Jones and two others for allegedly breaking into a Panda Express in June of 2018. Jones pled guilty to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of commercial burglary in October of 2018. The felony charges were dropped as part of the plea.
However, Jones is ready to demonstrate his moving past his previous problems to forge a strong future with New England.
“I learned from it, I'm looking forward to moving forward” said Jones. “I'm not really worried about the past. I'm working on my present.”
After his dismissal from USC, he transferred to Moorpark Community College for a year before landing at Arizona State. He played 26 games for the Sun Devils, compiling 92 total tackles, 26 passes defensed, six interceptions, and four forced fumbles.
Listed at 5-11, Jones is a bit undersized for the position. However, he makes up for it with tremendous athleticism. At the pro level, he projects best as a man-cover corner due to his stellar foot speed and ability to change direction to stick with his targets. Jones’ sound field awareness and instincts to close in on the football make him effective in zone coverage, as well.
Photo Cred: Matt McCarn/AP
Still, Jones considers himself versatile enough to be a defensive weapon for the Patriots, with a diverse style of play. Rather than classify his playing style, he is content to let his effort on each and every play tell the tale.
“I don't want to get into that,” Jones said of his playing style. "I just want to play every play like it's my last play."
Jones joins fellow soon-to-be rookie corner Marcus Jones [formerly of Houston] as future defensive backs in the Patriots draft class of 2022.
