Marcus Jones NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for New England Patriots' CB

HEIGHT: 5'8"

WEIGHT: 174

HAND: 8 7/8"

ARM: 28 7/8"

WINGSPAN: DNP

40-YARD DASH: DNP

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: DNP

BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Fluid athlete with very good hip swivel.

— Has quick feet with the ability to burst out of breaks.

— Speed to match receivers downfield.

— Takes on blocks with good leverage and physicality.

— Wrap tackler who shows very good tackle security.

NEGATIVES

— Overall size and strength. He can struggle guarding bigger receivers, especially downfield.

— Tends to round breaks at the top of routes when in off coverage, giving a step or two to the receiver.

— Average ball skills. Can be slow to locate the ball downfield and chooses to keep back to the ball and play through the receiver.

2021 STATISTICS

13 Games, 47 Tackles, 5 INT, 13 PBU, 1 FF

NOTES

— Two-year starter at Troy before transferring to Houston

— Two-year starter at Houston.

— Has over 2,000 kick return yards and 6 TDs between Troy and Houston.

— Accumulated over 800 punt return yards and 3 TDs between Troy and Houston

OVERALL

Marcus Jones is a productive cornerback with a bunch of experience between playing at Troy and Houston. An undersized player, he has shown the ability to play in both the slot and outside cornerback position. Jones has also shown special team value as a kick and punt returner, racking up both yards and touchdowns. At the cornerback position, Jones is a scrappy player who shows very good physicality when taking on blocks. An aware player who shows the ability to quickly read and react to what is in front of him. When playing the run, he reacts like his hair is on fire, playing to the proper leverage. He is a secure tackler who rarely misses and aims to cut down the ball carriers at the legs. When in coverage, he performs best when playing from the slot. He shows comfort in space with patience and good lateral movement to play the two way go. When playing on the outside, he shows to be hesitant at times, not trusting his eyes and giving up underneath completions. He does a good job playing through the reception point for short and medium routes; struggling to play deeper developing routes. When playing deep routes, he lacks the strength and size to battle bigger receivers; often getting bumped off the routes or being overly aggressive, leading to penalties. Jones looks to be a better slot defender at the next level, primarily because of his size and movement skills. Although he has experience playing outside, he will serve as a depth player in the NFL. A developmental player at the next level, he has the ability to find a role a couple years into his career.

GRADE: 7.2 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 87

POSITION RANK: CB11

PRO COMPARISON: D.J. Reed

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings