How Rookie Cyrus Jones Fits in New England Patriots Defense

Should anyone have been surprised by the New England Patriots’ selection of Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones in this past weekend’s NFL draft?

He plays a position of need for the Patriots, he plays all four downs (three on defense and one on special teams) and he comes from a program that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick trusts to put out quality players.

But once Jones is in New England, how will he fit into the defense?

He has experience playing all kinds of coverage: press-man, off-man and zone. He passes the Patriots’ litmus test for his athletic skills and testing numbers.

Most of his experience is on the boundary, which could be a problem in the NFL at 5’10” and 197 pounds while up against much bigger receivers. There will be times when he loses a matchup with a receiver due to his lack of size, but it will never be for a lack of effort. He is competitive while the ball is in the air, not unlike other undersized, scrappy cornerbacks like Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan. 

One area the Patriots admire in defensive backs—and another where Jones excels—is run support. As a hard-nosed defensive back, Jones might be competing with safeties Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon for the responsibility as the fifth defensive back on the field in nickel packages. That role was dominated by the two safeties last year, as the Patriots’ top five defensive backs were two corners and three safeties.

Jones’ versatility gives him the ability to move outside and inside, so expect the Patriots to move him around …

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