Jonathan Jones, a 2012 three-star recruit, started 29 of 45 career games for Auburn. In his four seasons with the Tigers, he played under two different head coaches and five different defensive coordinators.
After starting three games as a freshman in 2012, he lost his starting job and missed five games as a sophomore after breaking his ankle in preseason camp. He returned to his starting role in 2014 and started the final 26 games of his career.
He finished his college career with 129 tackles, seven interceptions and 26 passes defended. H
e possesses a marginal combination of height and weight on a lean frame with very good athletic ability.
Measureables
Height: 5’9” 1/8
Weight: 186 lbs
Arm Length: 30.25 inches
Hand Size: 8.75 inches
Combine Results
40-Yard Dash: 4.33 seconds
10-Yard Split: 1.47 seconds
Bench Press: 19 reps
Vertical Jump: 36 inches
Broad Jump: 10’3”
Three Cone: 7.25 seconds
Short Shuttle: 4.25 seconds
Games Watched
2015: Alabama, Memphis, Texas A&M
2014: Kansas State, Mississippi State
Strengths
Press coverage is where Jonathan Jones really excels. He possesses very good line of scrimmage skills as he keeps his feet still and disrupts the receiver’s route with his hands at the line before turning upfield. Once turned, he shows off solid man coverage skills by mirroring the route and forcing the quarterback to throw into a tight window. He displays solid mental processing skills by watching the receiver and turning to look for the ball when it’s in the air. Once the ball is in the air, Jones tracks well and shows off the athletic ability and ball skills to make a play.
As seen in the play below, Jones plays the ball like a WR. After jamming the wideout at the line, he turns upfield while staying close to the receiver. He turns to look for the ball and hauls it in uncontested. Knowing he has safety help over the top, Jones plays this ball perfectly.
We can’t see it in the play above as Jones stays tight to the WR the entire play, but even when he loses ground, he displays good closing speed to knock passes away and limit yards after the catch. Somewhat similar to closing speed, he also possesses the range necessary to make plays outside his zone in zone coverage. Good competitive toughness as he plays with a consistently high motor and won’t give up on a play until it’s over. His fluid hips and change of directions skills allow him to make plays in the open field as he displays a solid ability to tackle in space.
Weaknesses
The biggest knock on Jonathan Jones is something that can’t be taught. His size is a major concern and could cost him a spot on multiple teams’ draft boards. Although he’s very athletic and tracks the ball well, there are concerns about his ability to match up physically on 50-50 balls.
Here’s an example as Jones is outmatched by Texas A&M WR Speedy Noil. While Noil is a talented wideout, he’s only 5-foot-11 and listed as being one pound heavier than Jones. Imagine how bad this would look against an NFL receiver six inches taller than Noil.
As a result, Jones loses draft value as he’ll be pigeonholed as a slot corner.
From off coverage, he maintains a poor angular body position which slows his plant and drive back to the ball.
This also hurts his ability to make plays around the line of scrimmage in the run game as the ball carrier is already several yards downfield before Jones reaches the point of attack. From the outside, he takes poor angles to the ball carrier and does not constrict running lanes or force the ball carrier back inside as a result of marginal run support skills. He also possesses poor play strength against the run as he struggles to disengage from blocks and is easily driven out of the play once a receiver latches on.
Injuries will throw up a red flag as well as Jones suffered an ankle injury in 2013, hamstring issues in 2014 and underwent foot surgery in 2015.
Overall
Overall, Jonathan Jones is a starting nickelback in the NFL who possesses the athletic ability and awareness to match up with slot receivers. He’s not a corner with the size or play strength to play on an island outside the hashes. Jones is a very high-energy prospect who plays every down as if it were his last.
There’s certainly a spot for him on an NFL roster, but he won’t be selected until the third day of the 2016 NFL Draft.