2015 NFL Mock Draft: Titans Take Mariota, Eagles Select Cornerback

54. In doing my best to put myself in the head of Chip Kelly, I went with the player that the Eagles have been most publicly attached to who plays a similar way to the biggest free agent target the Eagles missed out on. As much as I wanted to pull the trigger on Alabama’s Landon Collins in this instance, it just doesn’t fit Kelly’s track record. Jones burst onto the draft radar at the combine with his staggering demonstration of his physical ability. His ascension up the boards has continued as a result of team’s seeing strong play on tape and finding out more about the UConn product. Jones has size (6’1”, 200 lbs), has experience playing both safety and cornerback, and was a team captain for the Huskies. If that doesn’t sound like Chip Kelly’s dream (size, versatility, leadership) think again. The Eagles were extremely aggressive in their pursuit of New England’s Devin McCourty in free agency before the safety decided to stay with the Patriots. McCourty was similar to Jones when coming out of Rutgers in that he was a cornerback with safety ability who was lauded for his natural skills as a defender. It’s tough to believe much when it comes to anything leaked about the Eagles, considering how little people actually know about Chip Kelly. What we do know is that Kelly passed up Florida State’s pro day, an event with a handful of projected first round picks, to personally attend UConn’s to see Byron Jones.. Cornerback. Connecticut. Byron Jones. 20. player