Did The Patriots Steal A Star From The Rest Of The NFL?
Much of this past Patriots offseason was dominated by the loss of JC Jackson. So many fans were down on this secondary; quite frankly, the whole team. Wins against the Lions and Steelers don’t make the team champions, but their defense has caused pressure and been opportunistic when chances arrive. One of the critical players of this defense has been a rookie, believe it or not.
Jack Jones (cornerback), the fourth-round selection out of Arizona State, has been one of the best rookie performers in the NFL over the first five weeks of the 2022 season. I don’t mean to take a victory lap, but The Gillette Gazette may have called this in previous articles (May & October). We just like to keep receipts, but we can also admit when we have been wrong (I was wrong about how the Patriots would look without Mac so far).
Jack Jones is certainly a risky player, but he is also a young playmaker who injects energy into the crowd and the rest of the Patriots’ defensive unit. That is totally worth him missing a play for a big gain here and there. Our pass rush has been generating pressure all season it’s great to see Jones take advantage of the mistakes opponents make when they are faced with it.
Jack Jones Is The Patriots CB Of The Future
Five weeks into the season, Jack Jones has a PFF coverage grade of 92, which makes him one of the highest-rated corners in the league so far. This rookie is coming into the league and almost instantly making an impact. We can’t forget the play in Miami when he high-pointed a pass to Tyreek Hill and should’ve picked it off.
Unfortunately, Hill still made the catch, but in Jack Jones’ first game versus one of the best wide receivers in the league, he almost made a game-changing play. Showing the nose for the ball, he has made several massive plays like the RedZone interception on Goff or being one of four people in NFL history to intercept Aaron Rodgers for a touchdown. Even Aaron was impressed by Jones’ break on the ball, which is evident from this Fan Nation excerpt.
“I almost missed the throw so badly he overran it,” Rodgers said. “That would’ve been nice. If I had thrown the ball where I was supposed to, he probably picks it in stride. He kind of had to catch it behind him. But it’s frustrating for sure.” It was the fourth pick-six of Rodgers’ career. He ranks fifth in NFL history in touchdown passes but is tied for 201st in interception-touchdowns. His other pick-sixes: at Tampa Bay in 2009, at home against Cincinnati in 2017 and at Tampa Bay in 2020. Bill Huber Packers Central Fan Nation
First time in five years that Rodgers threw a pick-six in Lambeau, and it was Jack Jones who beat him on that play. The only thing sweeter than that would’ve been getting the victory. I figured Jones would be good for the Patriots, but I didn’t expect this sort of impact so fast.
Belichick & The Patriots Knew This Kid Was Special
Belichick had multiple meetings with Jack Jones stretching back to the very beginning of the draft process because of some off-the-field issues in his past that Bill needed to know were sorted. The Patriots knew he was talented and should be too expensive in draft capital. The perfect mid-draft selection could come in and play out of the gate.
When you can look at things in the past with a 20/20 vision, it is much easier to see the plan. I was one of the fans who was upset with the Pats passing on both Trent McDuffie & Kair Elam in the first for Cole Strange but adding a player like Jones in addition to Strange makes me very happy to look stupid. Bill always has a plan even if we may not see it, it’s there. It is also not a crime to say you can’t see the plan or to have negative thoughts about what is going on.
Conclusion
The Patriots actually have something here in Jack Jones, he will be the top CB on the roster for the remainder of his rookie deal. I hope the Patriots extend him early because this guy is carving a spot as one of the most exciting players on the team. New England most certainly stole themselves a star in the 2022 NFL draft. Continuing on the trend of solid drafts since 2021, seeing what the rest don’t in players is exactly what separates Bill from the rest.
Links To GG Socials, Other Articles, Podcasts, Paid Opportunities
Like Our Facebook Page. Follow StadiumRantHQ & @GilletteGazette on Twitter. Check out our other articles @ The Gillette Gazette. Check out our Stadium Rant Podcast Network! Do you have some hot NFL takes you want to get out into the world? This is the place because we have plenty of opportunities at Stadium Rant spanning the whole NFL and more!