Dallas Cowboys 2017 Draft: Five Cornerback Prospects

Sidney Jones, CB – Washington

Strengths

Sidney Jones, from what I read and see, is a high character guy that really exemplifies what you would want in a teammate.  He has a calm confidence that is needed for anyone that hopes to thrive out on an island.  That confidence, however, doesn’t translate into the constant chirping and showboating that is often seen with talented cornerbacks.  He can also be seen communicating effectively with his fellow Huskie defenders while on the field.

Sidney plays with a fluidity that can’t be taught.  He appears naturally light on his feet and does a good job of keeping them moving.  He shows good change of direction which suggest that his hips are loose enough to turn and run.  These athletic traits are what aides him as he shadows receivers running their routes.

Jones plays bigger than his look predicts.  Despite being thin he is actually quite long, listed at 6’0″, and has good reach to match.  He has enough belief in himself to play without safety help and the smarts to back it up.  His mixture of confidence and smarts makes him a calculated risk taker, often jumping routes with success.

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Weaknesses

Now back to that thin frame.  All too often the Huskie corner can be seen being bullied by bigger, stronger wide receivers.  He lacks the ideal strength to be consistently dominant in press coverage.  Although he has shown to be a pretty solid tackler his willingness to get involved in run support is somewhat inconsistent.

Outlook for the Dallas Cowboys

I believe Jones could be in the neighborhood of the Cowboys draft pick depending solely on draft needs of the teams ahead of us.  If he is there at #28, I believe he has to at least be in the conversation. But I doubt Jones will be the highest rated player on the team’s board if he is there.

Does Jones even fit?  Well one thing is for sure, head coach Jason Garrett would love that he is a high character guy.  However, with two free agent corners who aren’t exactly all that physical I hope Marinelli stays away from the oft disinterested tackler.  I think coach Rod made due with Cowboys cornerbacks  Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr simply because he inherited them.  I doubt very much that he would want to draft a contact shy corner in Round 1.