Meet The Prospect: Sidney Jones, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles resisted the temptations–playmakers, Day-1 contributors, splashes–and brought in the best player left on the board: Sidney Jones.

It was a truly heartbreaking moment.

If you follow the Draft, you know it happens almost every year. A top-flight prospect grabs a freak injury at one of the worst times, submarineing his draft stock and peppering his pro projection with question marks.

This year, it was Sidney Jones, as Philadelphia of a player as their ever was. The 6’0, 185 lb corner was knocked a bit for a slight frame in the pre-draft process, but he is as feisty as they come. He’ll take no pause getting in the grills of big-mouth NFC East wideouts Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham Jr. That alpha dog mentality of an NFL corner is there.

Jones put up pedestrian Combine numbers: 4.47 40, 10’3″ broad jump, 33.5″ vertical jump, 7.02 3-cone, and 4.28 short shuttle. Those won’t blow anyone out of the water, but they’re serviceable.

But then the Pro Day rolled around, and Sidney Jones took a fall during positional drills, grasping for his ankle. He had torn his Achilles tendon.

There are conflicting reports on when Jones may be able to return. Pro Football Talk has him and his doctors believing in a September return, which would be incredible turnaround after an Achilles tear in March. Dane Brugler, a trusted draft analyst out of CBS sports, tweeted out that trainers had told him to not see Jones on the field until 2018.

I expect Jones to start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. A realistically optimistic (don’t think about it too much) prognostication for his return date? After the Week 10 bye, to face the Cowboys in Dallas in Week 11.

What could we see from Jones, whenever he takes the field? On tape, Jones’ greatest traits are two of the most important for cornerbacks: feet and recognition. We’ll start with the footwork: with fluid hips and quiet feet, Jones can mirror receivers down the field with ease.

When playing press-man coverage, the pop, or strike, with the hands is often overblown by the average fan. The hands aren’t nearly as important in press as the feet are–if your feet are dead through the release, you’ll immediately lose leverage against a wide receiver. Even though Jones has above average height and arm length for the position, his press isn’t predicated on the disruption at the line–it’s predicated on the movement of his feet in through the route.

Watch how patiently he flips his hips and how tight he stays in the hip pocket. He doesn’t draw a flag or get outmuscled by the larger WR, which can happen occasionally with Jones. Down the field, Jones exhibits excellent ball skills, and has a knack for playing through the receiver’s hands when he can’t get his head turned to the football.

Jones has my second-highest grade in zone coverage, the primary coverage of Philadelphia’s scheme, due to the quickness in his click-and-close and his processing speed. Against a familiar Air Raid concept from Washington State, Jones jumped an out-breaking route he had seen multiple times this game. He catches it cleanly and takes it to the house for six.

With Cover 2 responsibilities on this play, you can see Jones carry the inside receiver through his zone while keeping his eyes on the quarterback. He reads and has the athleticism to close. He will have these responsibilities and opportunities often in Schwartz’s attacking defense.

Though Jones didn’t match the Jim Schwartz measurable tendencies, his tape clearly identified a Round 1 selection, and the value at #43 OVR was too much to pass up. We identified him as a dark horse candidate for the selection in our Day 2 piece yesterday, and on my board, he came in ranked higher overall (#18) than first-round selection Derek Barnett (#38 OVR). The Philadelphia Eagles snagged a potential CB1 at a bargain–but just like when you go bargain-hunting online for knockoffs from China, he may take a while to get here.

Next: Meet The Prospect: Derek Barnett, Defensive End, Philadelphia Eagles

Look for Philly to attack the corner position again later in the draft–someone who can start Week 1. With their 3rd round selection (#99 OVR) far down the road and two 4th rounders, they can trade up, if they have interest. Should a potential starter like Fabian Moreau or Ahkello Witherspoon fall, keep an eye out.

Grade: A-