This Chiefs DB’s top highlight of rookie minicamp is ‘what I’ve been wanting to show’

Nic Jones batted the pass up with his right hand, then cradled the ball back toward his body, bringing in an interception as one of the top highlights of Saturday’s opening day of Kansas City Chiefs rookie minicamp.

Jones, a recent seventh-round draft pick out of Ball State, said he hopes that’s just the start of displaying to the Chiefs coaching staff that he belongs in the NFL.

“That’s kind of what I’ve been wanting to show since I got here — that I’ve got ball skills,” Jones said Sunday. “I can run with guys downfield and take the ball.”

The coordination impressed other teammates, as well.

Keondre Coburn, a sixth-round defensive tackle out of Texas, said he turned around just in time to see Jones’ interception on Saturday.

“I saw somebody jump. I saw he hit it, and it came back in his hand,” Coburn said. “ ... We just rewatched the play this morning, and I was like, ‘Man, that was an amazing play right there.’”

The 6-foot, 189-pound Jones had two interceptions for Ball State last season while earning second-team All-MAC honors.

Jones said he’s come by his ball-tracking skills naturally. He played baseball growing up, and before he moved to corner in football, he was initially a receiver.

“You just get so used to playing the ball out of the air,” Jones said. “I would have never thought I end up a corner, back when I was playing center field at 12 years old, but I guess it worked out.”

Jones only needs to look to last season for hope that he’ll make KC’s initial 53-man roster.

Though the Chiefs had a glut of cornerbacks then, three drafted players — fourth-round pick Joshua Williams and seventh-rounders Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson — remained with the team all season.

“I feel good definitely, just because they played a lot of young guys,” Jones said. “And just because I know myself. I play a lot of different roles. I can play inside, outside, anything, special teams. I trust myself to make a spot somewhere.”

For now, Jones said he’s most focused during the team’s three-day rookie minicamp on learning as much as he can. As an example, Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt has been preaching the importance of communication and knowing one’s job when playing on the back end.

Jones said the transition to the pro level this week was “definitely different,” but he didn’t feel much pressure because it remains early in the NFL calendar.

“I’m thriving right now being in that role that I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m willing to embrace that I don’t know what I’m doing. I think I try to use that to the best of my advantage,” Jones said. “And when you mess up, it’s a teaching moment now, because it’s the perfect time to mess up.”

Jones is already familiar with one of the teammates he’ll face in training camp; he went up against Chiefs second-year receiver Skyy Moore — from Western Michigan — three times while playing in the MAC.

Battling against Moore then, Jones said, was “fun to say the least.”

“I would say we as a whole won them battles, because it was never just one guy guarding Skyy,” Jones said. “It was a handful of plays. But if you got Skyy one-on-one, it was always gonna be a safety giving you that look, (where) you know you got a little help. He was dangerous.”

Jones said getting picked late in the NFL Draft would be a primary motivator as he strives to make the Chiefs’ roster.

He also doesn’t want to rest on what he’s accomplished to this point.

“I know being drafted was part of the dream, but really, playing in the league was the dream,” Jones said. “So until I’m there, I don’t really have nothing to celebrate.”