April 28, 2017
With their second round pick, 43rd overall, of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Washington CB Sidney Jones.
Jones ruptured his Achilles at his pro day, killing his draft stock. Had that not occurred, he would be among the options the Eagles would have considered at pick No. 14. Some players come back from a ruptured Achilles and play at a high level. Some lose their effectiveness to some degree. Clearly, it's a risk.
When he's healthy, Jones has outstanding ball skills and confidence. In an interview with PhillyVoice, Ron Jaworski said Jones was the best corner in the draft before he got hurt.
"Sidney Jones would have been the top guy," said Jaworski. "He was the best of the bunch if he didn’t get hurt. No doubt in my mind. He’s physical. If you look at that whole Washington secondary, that would be a Pro Bowl secondary out there. They were all very good, but clearly, he was the best of the bunch. He was a guy who could play zone, he could play man, and I don’t want to throw buzz words out there, but the transition ability that you have to have, the ability to tie your hands to your feet, your mobility, he had all those things.
"When you watch these guys play after play after play, you kind of develop a sense of if a guy can play or not. There are guys I look at for maybe a half, and I’m done. For six months a year, I look at all NFL football play, and I know what those attributes are to play those positions, and you can tell pretty quick on the eyeball test with Jones."
A highlight reel:
While he may be ready to play by the end of October, Jones will have missed the entire offseason program, so this will be a pick for 2018 and beyond.
The Eagles obviously felt highly enough of Jones that they think he'll be worth the wait.
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