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Marcus Jones NFL Draft Profile
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Marcus Jones Scouting ReportMarcus is a smart defender, and he shows it in numerous ways. Jones is able to read the quarterback’s eyes and break on passes. He sees plays develop quickly. The Houston CB can recognize screens by identifying blockers and closes with urgency. Jones plays with hustle in pursuit, and he chases down plays with his speed and play pace. Jones shows a particular affinity for movement. He has solid footwork at the line of scrimmage. He can mirror releases with reactive quickness and keep his hips loose. Jones does a great job of putting his feet first in press coverage. In zone, he has the awareness to peel off and follow the QB’s eyes on broken plays. He also has good ball skills. Jones can track the ball and position himself to make plays. Moreover, he’s competitive at the catch point, actively seeking to disrupt receivers. Jones also provides value in run defense, even with his lesser frame. He keeps his feet active when meeting blockers, and he’s able to sneak past by making preemptive cuts to destroy blocking angles. And in the box, he brings decent physicality in contact situations. Jones knows how to turn and correct his leverage when receivers enter his blind spot. He also has the versatility to cover the slot or move to the boundary. Finally, it’s very much worth noting that Jones is an elite return specialist on top of his defensive prowess. His explosive, twitchy style translates perfectly on special teams. |
Areas for ImprovementJones’ size does bring expected shortcomings. With his smaller frame and shorter wingspan, Jones naturally has a limited disruption radius at the catch point. His play strength is also lacking in some matchups. He can be simply outmuscled by larger receivers in contested situations. Jones’ lacking play strength limits his ability as an open-field tackler, and it can also limit his ability to get off blocks. The Houston CB can be displaced easily in run defense when blockers get their hands on him. He can improve in some areas as a defender. He can improve his timing and coordination at the catch point against larger receivers in some instances. Moreover, he can do a better job getting his head around to get his eyes on the ball when covering downfield. There are times when he freezes at the catch point, torn between maintaining positioning and seeking out the ball. Jones sometimes gives up too much cushion on route breaks. Additionally, he can be drawn off his man by overlapping route concepts, leading to communication lapses. When he does stick with his man, he can get grabby in contested situations. This can lead to penalties. Jones’ length also impacts his ability to jam receivers at the line, limiting his versatility in press. With his shorter strides, he doesn’t always have the desired range out of transitions.
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Marcus Jones Career at SchoolJones transferred before the portal rules were changed to grant immediate eligibility. Thus, he had to redshirt the 2019 season. His addition to the team was heavily anticipated in 2020, and by no means did he disappoint. Marcus only played in seven of the Cougars’ eight games in a truncated 2020 season, but he managed to make an impact. Jones racked up a pick and 4 deflections, as well as a punt return touchdown. It was a nice introduction to the AAC, but he saved his best for last in 2021. Jones had always been a versatile playmaker, but he took his game to new heights on defense in his redshirt senior season. He accumulated 47 tackles, a tackle for loss, 5 interceptions, 13 pass deflections, and a forced fumble in 13 games played, while also adding 2 more kick return and punt return touchdowns each. Incredibly, he drew first-team all-conference honors as a return specialist and second-team honors as a CB. Over his entire career, Jones stacked up 9 interceptions and 31 pass deflections on defense. As a returner, he piled on almost 3,000 total return yards and 9 total touchdowns. |
Marcus Jones NFL Draft Player ProfileOn the surface, the main issue with Jones’ NFL Draft scouting report is how his size translates on the defensive side of the ball. That size naturally limits him in some situations. Nevertheless, he’s shown he can compensate for it somewhat with his athleticism, instincts, and proactivity as a playmaker. He can also move between the slot and the boundary, and he provides excellent special-teams value on top of that. Opinions on Jones may be more wide-reaching because of his size, and he may not be a scheme fit for some defenses as a result. But as an energetic, productive slot cornerback who doubles as an elite returner, he has a lot of appeal. If someone likes him enough after the Senior Bowl and athletic testing, he could sneak into Day 2 range.
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