In need of help at the cornerback position, the Colts reportedly hosted versatile Florida State cornerback Jarrian Jones on an official pre-draft visit, according to Aaron Wilson.
Jones measures in at just under 6-0 and weighs 190 pounds. He really impressed at the NFL Combine running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash along with elite vertical and broad jump numbers, resulting in a 9.87 Relative Athletic Score–the third-highest RAS at the cornerback position.
Jones played 1,796 snaps at the college level. In 2023, 394 of those snaps came from the slot. Prior to that, he was primarily a boundary cornerback.
In the slot, Jones allowed a completion rate of 50 percent on 32 targets, holding pass-catchers to 9.9 yards per catch. He also came away with three interceptions nad three pass breakups. It was a very small sample size, but Jones did find some success as a blitzer as well.
From the boundary in 2022, Jones was targeted 24 times, allowing a completion rate of 46 percent at 10.4 yards per catch with one interception and three pass breakups.
By PFF’s grading system, Jones was a much more effective slot corner than a boundary corner. Jones’ missed tackle rate of 16 percent for his career is a bit on the high side.
For more on Jones, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say in his pre-draft report:
“Urgent cornerback with good size and above-average aggression in all aspects of his game. While Jones is all gas from snap to whistle, he can be clunky matching a receiver’s release and has a hard time transitioning through sharp break points without allowing glaring separation. His chase speed is average and he might require help over the top. He does a nice job of anticipating breaks from a shuffle and is effective from zone with a decent burst to close when playing forward. He’s aggressive in run support and battles for positioning in coverage. Jones’ limitations might be mitigated and his strengths maximized as a nickel cornerback playing forward from a zone-heavy cover scheme.”
Cornerback is the biggest need that the Colts have to address in this year’s draft, and if they are unable to do so in the first round, Jones provides them with a Day 2 option.
With Kenny Moore re-signed this offseason, if the Colts were to select Jones, while he could be a backup to Moore in the slot, the Colts would have to view him as a capable boundary defender, since that is where his playing time would come from.
Last season, explosive pass plays were an issue for this Colts secondary, along with them ranking in the bottom-third of the NFL in both total pass breakups and yards per pass attempt allowed.
Presumably, as the roster is currently constructed, JuJu Brents will man one of the boundary spots with Dallis Flowers and Jaylon Jones competing for the other.
In what is a very good cornerback class, Jones is PFF’s 15th ranked corner and the 113th rated prospect overall.
