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Patriots rookie cracks top-10 of ESPN’s 2022 rookie rankings

Jordy McElroy
·2 min read
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New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones went from being taken at No. 121 of the 2022 NFL draft to cracking the top-10 of ESPN’s rookie rankings.

It’s a remarkable jump for the fourth-round pick out of Arizona State.

Jones has jumped out immediately as a solid defensive playmaker in the backfield. It doesn’t matter who he’s matched up against or who’s throwing the football. He’s showing the ability to raise his game high enough to compete with guys that have been doing it much longer than he has on the field.

It has been a pleasant surprise for a defensive unit that was expected to take a step back in a year where they wouldn’t have Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson. Jones has more than held his own when stepping into the spotlight, and it’s the reason why he was ranked at No. 7 in ESPN’s top rookies list.

ESPN’s Matt Miller wrote:

“Who would have thought that Jones, a fourth-round draft pick, would be a seamless replacement for premier free agent J.C. Jackson in New England? Well, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, for one. Jones has been a rock star as a nickel cornerback and is the Patriots’ long-term future at the position. When teams target him in coverage, they have minus-11.9 expected points added, which trails just Gardner among rookie corners”

Jones has 24 tackles, two interceptions, one pick-six, a fumble recovery and five pass deflections on the season.

When talking about some of the future elite defensive playmakers in the league, Jones’ name should be on that list. For a man that’s always criticized for his drafting misfires on the offensive side of the ball, Belichick is still a master at finding defensive gems hidden down on the board.

So far, Jones has without question proven to be a diamond capable of shining for the Patriots for many years to come.

List

Midseason rookie grades for Patriots' 2022 draft class

Story originally appeared on Patriots Wire