With the 60th overall pick in the 2016 draft the New England Patriots selected cornerback Cyrus Jones of Alabama. This was the first player selected by the Patriots as they had no first round picks. He is an explosive playmaker and comes from a school known for producing many talented pro players.
Cyrus Jones to New England
Overview of Cyrus Jones
Height – 5’10”
Weight – 197 lbs
40 yard dash time – 4.49 seconds
Jones is known for his explosiveness, he is accustomed to playing press man coverage in Alabama. He is a tough player and is willing to re-route receivers. Jones is a good run defender when it comes to setting the edge and fighting through blocks. Making plays on the ball is something he does a great job of, being a former receiver he has good hands. Well known for his return ability, he returned four punts for touchdowns last season. Some issues include his smaller size and losing the speed battle with some receivers. Having great quickness helps him succeed in man coverage but at times he can get lost in zone.
Where he will be used in New England
The Patriots had a huge need for depth at corner. Throughout most of last year when New England employed its nickel package they would call upon Patrick Chung to move down from safety to play the nickel position. Duron Harmon would come on to the field to fill in for Chung at safety, this system was effective. The Patriots use the nickel package often and though Chung had an exceptional year he is much more suited to play safety than nickel corner.
Cyrus Jones should be a good fit at nickel corner. New England plays a high amount of man coverage when using this scheme and Jones would most likely be matched up against a slot receiver. This will keep him away from some of the taller wide-outs and allow him to utilize his quickness against the smaller slot receivers. He will be able to challenge receivers at the line and his presence means that Matt Patricia will be given more options to use his safeties and other defensive backs in multiple spots.
Another reason for New England to be excited about Jones is his usefulness on special teams. He has an unteachable ability to make people miss and it is highly possible that the Patriots will have him returning kicks and/or punts for them next season. He is very competitive and will most likely make his way onto other special teams units such as the punt team or kick off. Belichick is known for getting the most out of his roster and depending on how well he adjusts to the speed of the NFL it is very possible that Cyrus Jones will see a good amount of playing time next year.
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