With the 90th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the final of their four selections in the third round, the Arizona Cardinals selected cornerback Elijah Jones out of Boston College.
He is a long, very athletic cornerback with incredible ball skills.
He picked off five passes in only nine games in his final season and had seven interceptions and 21 pass breakups in his final 20 college games.
What can he be expected to do as a rookie for the Cardinals?
He has the potential to be a great boundary cornerback.
However, in 2024, there is basically one starting job up for grabs and he is competing with second-round pick Max Melton, 2023 fifth-round pick Kei’Trel Clark and others. Free agent signing Sean Murphy-Bunting will start and 2023 third-round pick Garrett Williams is likely to start again, as he did the last half of his rookie season when he returned from a torn ACL.
So he could be the third cornerback in the rotation if he beats out Melton, whom the Cardinals drafted 43rd overall.
What is more reasonable to expect is for him to be a solid special teams player. He played special teams all through college so it won’t be much of an adjustment.
So, at minimum, he will play on special teams. He could end up being in the defensive rotation.
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