The New England Patriots finally took a cornerback in the 2022 NFL draft. They waited until the third round to take Houston’s Marcus Jones, as versatile a prospect as they come.
He may never be a CB1 with his diminutive stature: 5-foot-8, 175 pounds. But he should break into the team’s rotation during his rookie season, perhaps developing into their starting option in the slot when Jonathan Jones moves on.
It’s simplistic to think of Marcus Jones as simply a cornerback, however. He’s a dangerous return man, with nine return touchdowns during his four-year college career at Temple and Houston. He also returned three interceptions for touchdowns. It’s not even crazy to think the Patriots could give Jones a run as a gadget player on offense, as noted by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Jones played some receiver in college.
That was one of many reasons why Jones is a favorite among advanced statistics websites like Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus. His unique athleticism makes up for his lack of length.
RD 3 | PK 85 – Patriots: Marcus Jones CB/RS, Houston
As a senior in 2021, Jones was named the American Athletic Conference's Special Teams Player of the Year, while also earning second-team All-AAC honors as a cornerback.
More on Jones as a sleeper » https://t.co/j7joATHY0A pic.twitter.com/rjITLBQiNS
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 30, 2022
New #Patriots CB Marcus Jones had 12 touchdowns in his college career. One on defense, two on offense, six on kick returns and three on punt returns.
Allowed a 53.5 passer rating in 2021.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) April 30, 2022
I like Jones’ trajectory to develop into the team’s top return man and slot cornerback — though I do worry about the team’s difficulties in helping players step into that role in the past. (See: Cyrus Jones.) It’s interesting that the Patriots have taken a slot cornerback and guard with two of their top three picks when New England has customarily been able to develop players at those positions in later rounds.
Regardless, let’s give the Patriots a B for the Jones selection. I, for one, would have preferred the Patriots going after an outside cornerback with a little more height. (In particular, I liked Zyon McCollum out of Sam Houston State.) It will be interesting to see how quickly Jones can jump into action on defense in a deep — though definitely not elite — group of Patriots cornerbacks that includes Malcolm Butler, Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones and Terrance Mitchell, among others.
Jonathan Jones is returning from shoulder surgery and is among the Patriots’ fastest players. But perhaps the Patriots are preparing for the possibility that he won’t return at 100%. Marcus Jones could serve as insurance — just in case.
