Eagles Draft Sidney Jones Despite Achilles Injury; Here's the Top Twitter Takes

Washington cornerback Sidney Jones is headed to the Philadelphia Eagles after the squad took him with the No. 43 pick in the NFL draft. 

Jones suffered a torn Achilles at his pro day, which leaves question marks about his future. At the very least, he will likely miss offseason workouts and could be limited as the season approaches.

"

Sidney Jones ain't helping them this year. Good pick Cowboys. I mean Eagles. That's early.

— Jeff Cavanaugh (@JC1053) April 29, 2017"

"Terrible injury," a scout told Mark Eckel of NJ.com. "He wasn't just one of the top corners, one of the top players. He's a really good kid, too. We loved him. Now, I don't know. You have to think about it [where you would take him]."

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports provided his thoughts:

Instead of potentially going among the top 10 to 15 picks, Jones remained available until he was taken early in the second round. 

When healthy, Jones has as much talent as almost anyone in a deep class at the position.

The 6'0", 186-pound player has good size for the position and impressive speed after running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. His athleticism and explosiveness before the injury were also among the best in the class.

What really separated him, however, were his technique and instincts to be a shutdown cornerback at the next level.

Mike Mayock of NFL Network listed Jones as the No. 1 cornerback in the class as of early March.

Jordan Plocher of Pro Football Focus noted how successful he was in college:

PFF College also noted he allowed just a 42.1 passer rating when quarterbacks were willing to throw his way, completing zero touchdown passes.

The Eagles know he has the talent to be a star on the defense; the only question is whether he can return to 100 percent health and when he will be able to contribute. 

The secondary was a key area of need for the Eagles this offseason. Their 2016 group was ranked as the worst in the NFL by Matt Claassen of Pro Football Focus, who noted "all three of the team's top corners ranked in the top eight for total receiving yards allowed among all defenders in the league."

Jones may need time to get acclimated into the scheme due to his Achilles injury, but his athleticism and upside represent a clear upgrade for a Philadelphia team ready to compete with a better secondary in 2017.