Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Elijah Jones
With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs wrapping up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than two months time. To celebrate the new incoming season, the All Seahawks staff will be breaking down the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2022 campaign.
Elijah Jones, Cornerback
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 188 pounds
2021 Stats*: Five tackles, one pass breakup
*College stats at Oregon State
Going the JUCO route after starring at North Fort Myers High School in Florida, Jones began his collegiate career at Ellsworth Community College before committing to play for coach Les Miles at Kansas. In three seasons with the Jayhawks, he appeared in 19 games, totaling 34 tackles and registering a career-best six pass breakups in 2020. With an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he transferred to play one season in Corvallis at Oregon State, seeing limited playing time on defense and special teams. Despite the lack of production, the Seahawks took a flier on him as an undrafted free agent due to his ideal size, 33-plus inch arms, and solid athletic testing at his pro day.
Best Case Scenario: Emerging as a surprise in training camp, Jones picks off a pass and generates multiple pass breakups in preseason games, earning himself a spot on Seattle's practice squad after initially being cut in late August.
Worst Case Scenario: Overwhelmed by NFL speed on the outside, Jones gets cooked frequently in the secondary early in camp and the Seahawks promptly release him to bring in another player for a look, ending his lone opportunity in the league.
What to Expect in 2022: While it's rare for a player who was not overly productive in college to become a viable NFL talent, it has happened in the past and Jones couldn't have landed with a better staff to develop him than in Seattle. With that said, after signing Artie Burns in free agency and drafting Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen in April, it would take several injuries in front of him on the depth chart and/or a fantastic preseason on special teams for him to have any shot at a roster spot. Given his length and athletic traits, however, he may be a player who intrigues the Seahawks enough to warrant signing to one of their 16 practice squad slots to see if he can become something down the road with adequate coaching.
Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles
