In his first mock draft of the year, USA Today's Nate Davis has the Redskins going on the defensive side of the football with Washington cornerback Sidney Jones.
While the Washington Redskins already have an All-Pro in Josh Norman headlining a young group of cornerbacks, USA Today's Nate Davis thinks the position could get even stronger during the 2017 season.
Check out these photos of Washington cornerback, Sidney Jones.
That's because in his first mock draft of the year, Davis has the Redskins selecting Washington cornerback Sidney Jones with the No. 17-overall pick.
"He's wiry (6 feet, 180) but athletic," Davis writes. "And despite the arrival of expensive cornerback Josh Norman, Washington had one of the league's least effective pass defenses in 2016 and could definitely still use another solid cover man in a division with so many capable wideouts."
Jones finished his three-year career with the Huskies appearing in 40 games with 145 tackles, 30 passes defensed, nine interceptions, six fumbles forced, three fumbles recovered and a touchdown.
During his junior season in 2016, the Diamond Bar, Calif., native earned second-team All-American honors from Sports Illustrated and the Football Writers Association of America. He also was named to the All-Pac-12 first-team.
Jones finished the year with 27 tackles along with three interceptions – two of which came against California. He also recorded a career-high seven tackles against Arizona on Sept. 24.
As a sophomore in 2015, Jones earned first-team conference honors following a season in which he finished with a Pac-12 best 14 passes defensed. In a 17-12 victory over USC that year, Jones recorded one of his career-high four interceptions along with a forced fumble.
Jones appeared in 13 games as a true freshman with 12 starts.
According to his NFL.com draft profile, Jones "competes all over the field" and "doesn't play pitty-pat with his jam from press."
"Throws stiff lead right into the shoulder of receivers like a boxer. Maximizes contact with receivers within first five yards. Eyes are top notch. Balances between quarterback's eyes and his man from all off coverages. Ready to close on throws anywhere near his area. Route magnet. Pattern anticipation allows him to map receivers path and undercut route. Prioritizes ball over man and attacks catch point with slaps and rips. Has nine career interceptions and got a hand on 21.3 percent of balls thrown his way over last two seasons. Early ball tracker with length and leaping to attack the high point. Mirrors receiver acceleration out of their breaks. Twitchy feet for click-and-close transitions and instant change of direction from shuffle technique. Solid recovery quickness," his profile states.
A potential pro comparison? His former college teammate Marcus Peters.
Peters has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of his first two NFL seasons and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015.
"Jones is a 'casino cornerback' who has the ball skills and instincts to tilt the odds in his favor when quarterbacks look his way," writes Lance Zierlein. "His toughness and desire to make plays on the ball is remarkably similar to his friend and off-season workout buddy, Marcus Peters. Jones has lockdown corner talent but will have to prove he can add muscle without sacrificing speed. His football character and play traits should make him a long-time starter with Pro Bowl potential."
