Position: CB

School: Connecticut

Measurements: 6’1”, 199 lbs. 32 inch arms, 10 inch hands

Collegiate Stats: 43 career games, only seven games in 2014. 222 total career tackles, 21 career passes defended, and eight career interceptions

Combine Measurements: Did not run 40-yard dash, 44 ½ vertical jump, 12’3” inch broad jump, 3.94 second shuttle run, and 6.78 second three-cone drill.

Analysis:  Byron Jones missed the final five games of the season because of shoulder surgery. He is entering the draft as a cornerback but spent just as much time in college as a safety. Jones is a really smart player on and off the field, and was a great leader on the field and in the locker room at Connecticut. He has great size as a corner and is very instinctive. Has good enough speed and does a nice job making a play on the ball in coverage. He’s not a physical player which worries you making tackles in rush defense. The biggest worry is his athleticism and balance. He might not be a shut down man cornerback, but his natural instincts in coverage make him a dangerous player.

Bottom Line: The Dallas Cowboys needed help in the secondary and they made the necessary upgrade by drafting corner Byron Jones out of Connecticut. Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr have continued to be disappointing for the Dallas secondary the last couple of seasons. With Jones being there in the late first round, this was an obvious choice to sure up the Dallas defense. If he pans out to be a stall worth on Dallas’ defense, he could become one of the leaders for that team down the road.

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About the author
Parker White
Sports journalist from Midlothian, Virginia. Co-editor and writer for the NBA and MLB sections at VAVEL USA. Follow me on Twitter @spudwhite1022