The Las Vegas Raiders have many questions to answer about their cornerback room.
One player who answers some of those questions is Jack Jones. Jones goes into the 2024 season as the Raiders’ top outside corner.
After claiming him off of waivers midseason, Jones posted 25 total tackles, a tackle for loss, four passes defended, and two interceptions, which he returned for touchdowns.
Those pick-sixes quickly endeared Jones to the Raiders’ fanbase. He has the Raider mentality of toughness and competitiveness and has a close, longstanding relationship with Coach Antonio Pierce.
This will be the most responsibility Jones has had in the NFL. How will he respond to being the Raiders’ top cornerback option?
Jones was a fourth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Arizona State, so he’s entering just his third season in the league. He’s just 26 years old but tasked with leading the Raiders’ cornerback room.
Thankfully, he has some experienced Raiders behind him. Nate Hobbs has been with the Raiders for three years already, and he is entering his fourth season. Hobbs and Jones can work together to lead the young cornerbacks in the room. As one of the top players in the room, it’s Jones’ responsibility to be a leader.
The safeties behind Jones should be a big help to him as well. The duo of Marcus Epps and Tre’von Moehrig should offer Jones a sense of security. If he makes a mistake on a play, one of those two should be nearby to clean it up.
The Raiders have a young secondary. Jones has big shoes to fill in such a big role that he has earned in a short amount of time in the Silver and Black.
Not only does Jones have to be an intangible leader for his teammates, but he also has to defend the best wide receiver on the opposing team. The Raiders will face some of the best receivers in the league this season, including Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase and Los Angeles Rams stars Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.
Jones leads an uncertain Raiders secondary looking to prove people wrong this year. He takes on the mentality of his head coach, so if he can apply that to his leadership of his teammates and his play on the field, the secondary should help the team win games.
