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There were a few players who stood out during the New England Patriots’ brief minicamp the week of June 6. Perhaps none more than rookie cornerback Jack Jones.
The Patriots organization seems to be pleased with what they’ve seen from the fourth-round pick, and they have signed him to a four-year deal worth “a little more than $4.4 million,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo:
The Book on Jack Jones
After beginning his college career at USC, Jones landed at Arizona State after spending 2018 at a junior college. As a member of the Sun Devils, Jones established himself as one of the PAC-12’s top cornerbacks. Jones had 10 interceptions in four seasons of PAC-12 football. On top of the college production, his versatility and competitiveness have made an impression on those who were present for mini-camp.
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When Jones came out of high school, he was considered a five-star prospect. He was ranked ahead of current NFL players like Devin Duvernay, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and the Patriots’ N’Keal Harry by USA Today.
After having a promising freshman season that saw him play in 13 games, Jones had a strong sophomore campaign with the USC Trojans. He led the team with four interceptions, but was dismissed from the team for academic ineligibility at the beginning of his junior year.
Unfortunately, Jones was arrested and convicted of a misdemeanor burglary charge for breaking into a Panda Express. Jones attended Moorpark Junior College for a year before transferring to Arizona State.
He has rebuilt what a detoured football career and early on in his NFL journey, the talented young corner is off to an impressive start.
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The Patriots really need Jones to be one of the draft’s biggest surprises. Cornerback is arguably the team’s weakest position. If he shines, there is a good chance he could start on the outside opposite Malcolm Butler, whom the Patriots brought back after he spent a year out of football in 2021. At 5’11” and 185 pounds, Jones isn’t a big corner, but his athleticism and instincts for the ball have already been apparent in early practice sessions.
Jones had an interception, forced a fumble with a Charles-Tillman-like punch, early in the mini-camp and also made plays to break up potential completions. At 24 years old, he is a little more mature than most rookies. That could serve him well when it comes to earning playing time and the trust of the coaching staff.
Jones has come close to missing out on living a dream as a football player, and it appears he is not squandering this opportunity.
The Other Rookie Jones
The Patriots drafted two cornerbacks named Jones this year. The other is Marcus Jones. He was selected in the third round out of Houston. He projects as a nickel corner, but his biggest potential impact could be as a punt returner.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Jones to former Kansas City Chiefs great Dante Hall as a punt-return prospect. Jones is recovering from shoulder surgery so he wasn’t involved in any contact drills during camp.
However, the moment he is ready to go, expect to hear his name mentioned as one of the prospects with the best chance to make a splash as a rookie. If Jones can become the kind of weapon Hall was for the Chiefs during his prime, it will help the Patriots’ offense exponentially with positive field position to start drives.
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