Getty Jack Jones intercepts a pass.
T
he New England Patriots could use some help in their secondary and the 2022 NFL Draft is a perfect opportunity to fill some holes.
While New England has brought in Malcolm Butler, there are still some holes that need to be filled in the Patriots’ defense.
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Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reported on Monday afternoon that Arizona State University cornerback Jack Jones will meet with the New England Patriots for the second time.
The #Patriots will be meeting again with Arizona State cornerback Jack Jones on Tuesday in Arizona, per source. Jones had a Top 30 visit in New England last week.
More on Jones here:
Jones is coming off a great senior season in Arizona. The cornerback racked up 41 total tackles along with three interceptions and a touchdown.
Jones ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He weighed in at 177 pounds at his pro da and posted a 4.52-second 40-yard dash, 35-inch vertical leap, 10-feet, 4-inch broad jump, and a 6.90-second 3-cone drill.
East-West Shrine Bowl director of player operations and player personnel Eric Galko called Jones, “one of the best man cover corners in the 2022 draft class.”
“Fluid, smooth, and with really instinctive timing and breaks on the ball, Jack can be a starting perimeter or nickel cornerback Day 1 in the NFL,” Galko added.
With such impressive stats, fans might be stunned to learn that he is expected to be drafted at the earliest in the third round.
Off The Field Issues
Unfortunately for Jones, he has struggled with issues off of the gridiron. The cornerback was dismissed from USC due to academic issues.
Jones was also arrested and charged with commercial burglary and felony conspiracy to commit a crime after he broke into a Panda Express in June 2018. The charges ended up being reduced to a misdemeanor, and he was placed on probation.
After spending a year at Moorpark College to work on his grades, Jones returned to the Pac-12 and resumed his college football career at Arizona State University.
A Familiar Situation for New England
The New England Patriots are no strangers to giving players such as Jones a second chance. J.C. Jackson is the most recent example.
Prior to being signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, he had been arrested on armed robbery charges while at the University of Florida, and was dismissed from the team but ultimately found not guilty. Jackson ended up going to a junior college and transferred to Maryland before being signed by New England.
That risk paid off for the Patriots as he became New England’s top corner. In four seasons, Jackson recorded 158 tackles along with 25 interceptions.
Jackson also made out well. He signed a five-year deal worth $82 million with the Los Angeles Chargers. The cornerback now has a great chance of winning another Super Bowl as the Chargers are stacked with talent including the likes of Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, Austin Ekler, and Keenan Allen.
The interest is clearly there from New England so it wouldn’t be surprising if Jones ended up in a Patriots uniform. The question is will the Patriots risk a draft pick or try to sign the cornerback as an undrafted free agent.