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Who is Byron Jones (CB) and Why is Moving up Draft Boards?


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From todays NY Post: 

 

http://nypost.com/2015/02/23/meet-the-unheralded-cornerback-who-is-owning-the-nfl-combine/

 

Meet the unheralded cornerback who is owning the NFL combine

February 23, 2015 | 1:20pm

 
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Byron Jones gets congratulated at the NFL Scouting Combine.Photo: AP

Most of the attention at this past week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis focused on the dueling top quarterback prospects, Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota.
However, the combine allows unheralded prospects to show off their talent, and this year, one name stands out well above all the others: UConn cornerback Byron Jones.

In the broad jump, Jones jumped 12 feet, 3 inches —which appears to be a world record. Jones’ leap surpassed the combine record of Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins, who jumped 11 feet, 7 inches two years ago.

Jones didn’t stop there, posting an astonishing vertical leap of 44.5 inches. However, he did not run the 40-yard dash, as he is still recovering from shoulder surgery. He will run the 40 at UConn’s pro day on March 31.

 

A native of New Britain, Conn., Jones was a multi-sport star at St. Paul (Bristol) High School, playing football and basketball. He was an All-State player during his senior season, recording three interceptions while returning punts and kickoffs to boot.

Obviously, Jones is a great athlete, but is he a great football player? UConn coach Bob Diaco thinks so.

“I think he will be one of the best players in the country,” Diaco told NBC in October. “Everyone will see it eventually when they put him in those compression shorts [at the combine]. You will see a tall, long, lean and fast and explosive and athletic player. His numbers, with our developmental process, you are going to see at the end of the day one of the best tangibly gifted cornerback players in the country.”

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah feels Jones could be a “steal.”

“He has excellent height [6-foot-1] and a thick, muscular build for the position,” Jeremiah wrote in a scouting report. “He is at his best in press coverage … He has the speed to carry vertical routes and he stays on the hip on quick-breaking underneath routes. He does have some hip tightness which shows up when he has to open up and redirect … He has excellent ball awareness down the field, as evidenced by a big-time high-point interception against Michigan in 2013 … Overall, if his shoulder injury checks out, Jones could be a real steal in this draft. He should start Day 1 in a press-man scheme.”

Yahoo Sports reported Jones is already rated “fairly high in what appears to be a middling but hardly great group at the cornerback position.”

I don't know much about him; any thoughts on him or any other unheralded dbs?  

 

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