Rookie cornerback Jack Jones has been a revelation for the New England Patriots defense to this point in the NFL season. His contributions may have flown under the radar through the first 10 weeks, but the folks over at Pro Football Focus have taken notice.
Jones, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, enters Week 11 as PFF's highest-graded rookie defender and second-highest-graded rookie overall with an 86.9 grade. The Arizona State product trails only Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce, who comes in at No. 1 with an 88.4 grade.
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Jones has been a stellar replacement for J.C. Jackson, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. The soon-to-be 25-year-old has two interceptions -- including a pick-six of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Week 4 -- a forced fumble, and five pass breakups. He leads all NFL cornerbacks with a PFF coverage grade of 90.4.
The Patriots will hope to see Jones continue his development into a star defensive back during the second half of the campaign. Their defense as a whole is the reason they come out of the bye week with a chance to compete for a playoff spot down the stretch.
New England will return to action Sunday when it hosts the New York Jets. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.