The Indianapolis Colts invested heavily in the cornerback position in the 2023 NFL Draft, using three of their 12 selections to address the roster deficiency. Despite being the latest selection of the three aforementioned cornerbacks, former seventh-round pick Jaylon Jones has solidified himself as a mainstay on the roster.
Jones has been in an uphill battle for playing time since draft day, fighting with fellow draftees JuJu Brents and Darius Rush for a spot on the roster. The other rookies clearly had a leg up on Jones, as he was a seventh-round pick who general manager Chris Ballard would later admit wasn't really on the team's radar. It took a strong case from area scout Anthony Coughlan for the Colts to even select Jones.
With everything stacked against him in training camp, Jones quietly won over the coaching staff (and the rest of the organization). He beat out Rush in camp, leading to the fifth-round rookie being a roster casualty on cut-down day. Jones received an even bigger step up in responsibility when Brents went down with an injury in Week 5 of the 2023 season. Jones, at just 21 years old, as a late day-three selection, officially became a starting NFL cornerback for the Colts in week five of the 2023 season.
From that point on, Jones wouldn't relinquish his starting role for a second. He has started every game for the team since then, totaling 15 pass breakups and two interceptions in 1,146 coverage snaps. His play took a massive step forward in 2024, as he ranked in the top 15 among all cornerbacks in the league in forced incompletions. He was a disruptive number one corner for the Colts and, still at just 23 years old, already has nearly 2,000 defensive snaps under his belt.
The Colts made a massive move this offseason to acquire Charvarius Ward in free agency, which will lessen Jones' role going forward. Even with him sliding into the outside cornerback two job, Jones is expected to play a major part in the defense for the foreseeable future. Let's dive into his overall game and break down what has made this young player so productive thus far.
Positives
The In-Break King
Jones isn't the most athletic player in the league at cornerback, but he makes up for it with his mind. He is a very cerebral player who has developed so much in two short years in the league. He has an innate understanding of route concepts in front of him and uses that to position himself in spots to make plays on the ball. The Colts played a lot of spot drop cover two and three last season, and Jones was still able to limit completions to his side of the field.
His absolute best moments last year came when offenses tried to attack him with in-breaking routes. Jones' shuffle technique on the outside allowed for his body to be positioned inside in his zone drops, which led to him creating an extra half step of explosion to break on digs and slants to his side of the field. He timed up these routes beautifully as well, oftentimes jumping around the receiver to get his hand on the pass and force an incompletion.
The Colts' defense didn't have many wins last year, but they certainly had an advantage whenever teams attempted to test Jones over the middle of the field to his side of the defense.
Awareness/Route Recognition
To really hammer home the point about Jones' cerebral play, his long speed and overall athleticism are a concern on film. It did burn him a bit as a rookie, as he allowed six touchdowns on the year. That number dropped to just one allowed this past season, and he saw notable growth in several key areas as he adjusted to the NFL game. Now, he looks like a player who fully understands his own limitations but has found a way to succeed despite them.
These clips below don't do him full justice, but they do illustrate a bit of this point. He has an innate understanding of when to break on passes, when to open his hips and run with players, and when to get physical in routes. Without that extra half step gained due to his film study/awareness, he would be a liability on the field with his limitations. Instead, he is a solid starting corner with the Colts.
Last season, Jones held opposing quarterbacks to an 85.8 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He tied for number 11 in the NFL in forced incompletions, and Pro Football Focus graded him out as the number seven ranked starting corner in man coverage grade on the year. At just 23 years old, Jones has emerged as a really strong starter for this Colts team.
Zone Coverage
While PFF was rather high on Jones' ability in man coverage, he was arguably a better fit in zone for Gus Bradley's scheme last season. He operated well within the system and his ability to take away deeper routes while breaking on underneath throws was vital to what the Colts wanted to do a year ago. His tackling certainly could have been better, but he was a fantastic zone cornerback for the Colts last year.
Jones really shined as a cover two flat defender for the team. His ability to displace at the line, get depth into the hole shot, and then attack underneath limited opposing offenses attacking his side of the field. He even made a fantastic interception against the Chicago Bears in this coverage, breaking on a throw to the flats. His zone eyes and his overall feel for the game were truly great in zone coverage in 2024.
Negatives
Athletic Limitations
Jones has worked tirelessly to mitigate his athletic limitations, but those limits do still exist. He simply isn't the nimble or speed athlete that top corners need to be in order to match high-end receivers. A big reason why the Colts signed Ward this offseason was to get Jones away from these types of assignments and into more favorable positions going forward.
These issues won't completely go away covering number two and number three receivers, but they will be shielded a bit more than they were last season. Jones just doesn't have the athletic upside to be a high end starter in this league, but that is fine. A player can still churn out a long career without being a superstar, and that appears to be where Jones is heading with his game.
He is a smart and reliable player, but he is likely destined to be a career number two corner in the legaue.
Tackling
While it may be difficult for Jones to improve upon the negative listed above, he can certainly stand to clean up his tackling efficiency next season. He technique simply wasn't good enough, as he tends to lunge with his head down and had far too many moments last year where he failed to wrap up. This led to several key missed tackles, including multiple plays that led to touchdowns or third down conversions for opposing offenses.
At 6'2", 203 pounds, Jones needs to be a bigger impact player with his tackling and with his run defense. There is no excuse for him to be missing tackles like he does, especially with his size and with his ability to diagnose plays in front of him. If he really wants to take a big step forward next season, he needs to become a force player in this area of his game.
The Bottom Line
Jones is a rock-solid starting cornerback with a limited ceiling but a high floor. His cerebral play combined with his feel for the position will always make him a positive impact player, but his athletic limitations will always hold him back from taking a massive step forward into stardom. He is likely destined to be a productive starter, which is a massive win for a player selected in the seventh round.
At just 23 years old, Jones has already seen nearly 4,000 defensive snaps across college (in the SEC) and the NFL. For comparison's sake, JuJu Brents (the Colts' second-round pick in the same draft class) has roughly half of that in terms of overall snaps despite being over two years older than Jones. Jones is a rare case of a player who plays like and has the experience of a veteran despite being one of the younger players on the team.
Jones is going to be a productive player in the NFL for a long time, and hopefully, a bulk of his career is spent with the Colts. He was miscast last season as a number one corner, and he should be able to find some success as the Robin to Ward's Batman. There will always be some limitations to his game, but overall, Jones is one of the best case scenarios a team can hope for when selecting a player in the seventh round of the draft.
