Jaylon Jones, CB Texas A&M: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Jones was a five-star recruit from Byron P Steele II High School in Cibolo, Texas in the class of 2020

Texas A&M junior cornerback Jaylon Jones continues receiving some first round buzz in mocks for the 2023 NFL Draft. The young former five-star prospect is very gifted, but a move to safety might benefit his long-term future as a professional player.

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Jaylon Jones, CB Texas A&M: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior outside cornerback from Cibolo, Texas

Background: Jones was a five-star recruit from Byron P Steele II High School in Cibolo, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 21 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 27 for Rivals, and No. 26 for On3.com. Jones was a four-star recruit for ESPN and ranked 35th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. He committed to the Aggies over Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Houston, Ohio State, TCU, Texas, USC, and other Power 5 programs. As a high school senior, Jones won the District Defensive MVP while amassing 34 tackles, four interceptions, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He also contributed 30 receptions for 549 yards and five touchdowns on offense. Jones totaled 36 tackles, seven passes defensed, and a forced fumble as a junior, and 31 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defensed, and a forced fumble as a sophomore. He was selected as an Under Armour All-American. Jones received the 2021 and 2022 Defensive Attitude Awards at Texas A&M’s annual team banquets.

2021 Production: 12 games, 35 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defensed

2020 Production: 10 games, 30 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 6 passes defensed

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2022

Awards: Texas A&M 2021 and 2022 Defensive Attitude Award winner

Pros: Age, good size and density, special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, appears to have adequate arm length, quickly comes downhill against short passes and the run, willing tackler who brings value in the run game, gains good depth in zone, instances of excellent patience in man coverage and remaining attached on crossing routes, extends to make plays on the ball outside of his frame, aggressive and impactful at the catch point, savvy attack plan at the catch point to generate incompletions, excellent timing to jump routes when his eyes are on the quarterback, rarely surrenders inside leverage, good zone discipline in coverage

Cons: Missed tackles are a theme, sometimes lacks violence coming downhill as a tackler, five penalties committed in 2022, a little high-hipped, high and slow backpedal, quick to declare his hips in man coverage, struggled to match Jameson Williams’ stop-start agility and speed (2021), lacks high-end speed, not twitchy or sudden, overextends and gets grabby to stay attached to receivers, occasionally caught looking into the backfield, not very assertive or physical early in the rep or throughout the route, struggles to separate from wide receiver blocks, footspeed, allows too much cushion at times, not the most fluid athlete, some stiffness in his movements leave him a step behind receivers, doesn’t always locate the football, needs to squeeze outside releases along the sideline more, sometimes stumbles when attempting to change direction quickly, staggered footwork, struggles to consistently mirror receivers and stay attached on comeback routes

Overview: Jones is unofficially listed at 6'2", 205 lbs. The Texas native experienced most of his success in 2021 as a boundary corner, but he received plenty of opportunities playing to the field in 2022. He is a young prospect who only turns 21 years old this coming spring. Jones offers good size and density for a cornerback with adequate arm length to contest catches from various angles. He appears much more comfortable playing off the line of scrimmage than in press. While Jones had his impactful moments as a defender to the field side in 2022, he looked more at home playing along the boundary in 2021. He is a physical corner who willingly contributes to the run game. Jones quickly triggers downhill against short passes and the run. He makes his fair share of one-on-one tackles in space. In man coverage, he displays excellent patience early in the stem to avoid false steps and stay connected to the receiver. Despite lacking high-end speed, Jones does a good job staying attached to receivers on crossing routes over the middle of the field. The former five-star recruit rarely surrenders inside leverage, forcing receivers to rely on space toward the sideline. He displays good zone discipline in coverage and makes impressive plays on the ball when allowed to read the quarterback’s eyes. Jones extends to make plays on the ball outside of his frame. He displays veteran savvy in his multiple ways to combat receivers at the catch point. Jones will poke the ball out from behind receivers, swat their hands after the ball makes contact to break their control, or stick his hand between the receiver’s to make controlling the ball impossible. He has amassed significant special teams experience with snaps on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. Unfortunately, Jones still has many areas for improvement. He struggles to consistently defeat blocking wide receivers on his way to the football. Missed tackles are still a concern for Jones, and he sometimes lacks violence coming downhill. The junior committed five penalties in 2022. His staggered and slow footwork and some stiffness in his movements prevent him from mirroring more agile receivers. Jones resorts to grabbing or hooking the offensive player when his physical limitations lead to him falling a step behind. He struggled to handle Jameson Williams’ stop-start agility and speed in 2021. Jones lacks the high-end speed to deal with burners, and he’s not fluid, sudden, or twitchy enough to combat more agile receivers. He’s a little high-hipped, which leads to a high and slow backpedal. Improved footwork could eliminate some of the moments where Jones stumbles while attempting to change direction or has to declare his hips early as the receiver overtakes his backpedal. He isn’t very assertive or physical early in the rep or throughout the route, which allows quicker plays to threaten him downfield. Jones needs to squeeze outside releases along the sideline more often. He struggles to stay attached to receivers on comeback routes. With his physical profile and limitations in man coverage, Jones projects best as a zone defensive back who might shift to safety.

Overall, Jones possesses an excellent build for a defensive back that he uses to dominate the catch point and contribute in the run game, but he lacks the agility and looseness of a top cornerback prospect. Jones’ skill set is attractive for a team looking to add a versatile project player on late Day 2 or early Day 3. A move to safety might unlock more playmaking opportunities while mitigating some of his athletic concerns.

Role & Scheme Fit: Boundary corner or safety in a zone-heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 12-19-22