Dallas Cowboys: Can Chidobe Awuzie be the next Byron Jones?

The Dallas Cowboys were able to shore up their defense throughout the first three rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, and one of those picks felt very familiar.

With the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys made a selection that almost felt like déjà vu.

They were able to nab Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, a versatile defensive back similar to the mold of 2015 first round draft pick and incumbent starting safety, Byron Jones.

Although Jones was drafted higher (27th overall), Awuzie was seen by some as a potential first-round talent.

Much like Jones back in 2015, what stands out about Awuzie is his versatility in the defensive backfield. Dallas reportedly told Chidobe when they met with him in pre-draft visits that they envisioned him playing cornerback, safety, and nickel corner.

Sound familiar?

Well, those were three positions the Cowboys asked Jones to play his rookie year, before eventually settling into the free safety position his sophomore season.

Awuzie has a somewhat similar frame to Jones, albeit he’s not nearly as long– Byron is listed at 6’1″, 199 pounds and Awuzie 5’11”, 202 pounds. However, much like Jones, he is an explosive athlete with top-end speed.

While Awuzie wasn’t breaking any records in his combine, he still put together some impressive numbers, running a 4.43 40-yard dash with a 34 1/2 inch vertical. He’s also a very physical and willing tackler, something Jones proved to be very adept at since day one.

However, what truly makes Awuzie so similar to Jones is not his physical makeup, but rather his mental ability. The defensive back was a great student-athlete in Colorado, and his intelligence was evident on the playing field. Jones was also a highly intelligent player in college, and his teammates even nicknamed him ‘Mayor Jones’ for interning in two different political offices while he was a student.

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Byron Jones had a very promising rookie season back in 2015, and has developed into a quality starter for the ‘Boys. Dallas can only hope their second round pick can do similar things for them in a win-now 2017 campaign. As of right now, that doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch at all.