The Landry Hat
Fansided

Dallas Cowboys: Is Byron Jones officially a draft bust?

By Steven Mullenax

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 11: Running back Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots carries the ball as cornerback Byron Jones #31 of the Dallas Cowboys tries to make the tackle during the first half of the NFL game at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 11: Running back Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots carries the ball as cornerback Byron Jones #31 of the Dallas Cowboys tries to make the tackle during the first half of the NFL game at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Is it safe to now officially consider this Dallas Cowboys’ former first round selection, defensive back Byron Jones, a draft bust?

Another draft and another offseason of speculation about which college prospect will become the Dallas Cowboys‘ first round selection. And this week, the NFL Scouting Combine can change a team’s draft board drastically. It happened for the Cowboys back in 2015.

Connecticut defensive back Byron Jones wasn’t considered a first round selection until after he posted a terrific performance at the Scouting Combine. Jones’ all-time workout included him setting a World Record at the standing broad jump. His stock skyrocketed following that performance and the Cowboys selected him 27th overall in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

In hindsight, Dallas would have been better off selecting Alabama safety Landon Collins, as the New York Giants’ two-time Pro Bowler was taken six picks after Jones.

But Jones was the Cowboys’ selection, and for a time, they thought it was a very solid pick. For one, the 25-year old hasn’t missed a single game in the past three years. And Jones has also shown a talent for covering bigger wide receivers and tight ends.

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. During his rookie season, the Cowboys shifted Jones all over their secondary. In his second year, Dallas cemented him at safety. Unfortunately, the young defender’s complete lack of football instincts has resulted in a total of two interceptions in three years.

Although the 6’0, 205 pound Jones is a willing tackler, he is far from a physical force. And last season, his fundamentals started to fall apart. So much so that the Cowboys started swapping Jones out with former sixth round safety Kavon Frazier every other series.

This offseason, the speculation is that the Cowboys could elect not to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option. And instead of keeping him a safety, Dallas might shift him back to corner to compete with Jourdan Lewis, Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown and Orlando Scandrick.

At this point, should Byron Jones be considered an official draft bust?

"“If we are going to label first-round picks with either “hit” or “bust” then he’s been a “bust” — but there are many degrees of each,” responded Dane Brugler during a weekly mailbag post for the Dallas Morning News. “Has Jones lived up to expectations? No. Not the expectations of the fans, franchise or himself … Jones has been a steady contributor and while you expect more out of first-round picks, we’ll see if a contract year will get the most out of him.”"

Next: 4 Potential Breakout Candidates for 2018

So far in his career, Byron Jones has been a bust as a former first rounder. Like many others, his draft status certainly hurts any evaluation of his NFL career. But the fact the Dallas Cowboys are still struggling to find a place for Jones heading into his fourth season doesn’t bode well for his future in Dallas.

Home/Cowboys News