FOXBORO, Mass. — Cyrus Jones knew the New England Patriots were a possibility for him on Day 2 of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he was hoping the four-time Super Bowl champions would select him.
It happened with the 60th overall pick (Round 2) on Friday night.
“I knew they were interested,” Jones said during a media conference call. “I wasn’t sure, I was just waiting patiently. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high. I obviously knew they were interested, just talking to my agent and whatnot.
“When that pick came up, I was just praying to God that they would take a chance on me, and that I’d have an opportunity to land in such a great organization. This is one of the best organizations in the whole league, possibly the best. I couldn’t be more happy with where I ended up.”
One of the reasons why Jones thought the Patriots could draft him came from a pre-Alabama pro day meeting him and some Crimson Tide teammates had with New England head coach Bill Belichick.
“The only time I saw Coach Belichick was the day before pro day when I had a short meeting with him,” Jones said. “… The meeting went great. We sat in — it was me and a couple other players — we sat in and watched some film from our season and pretty much talked football. The meeting went great.”
Alabama has played in many big games since Nick Saban took over as head coach before the 2007 campaign, including a national championship run last season. Jones believes that kind of experience will help him make a smooth transition to the Patriots, who often play deep into January as a perennial Super Bowl contenders.
“I think it prepared me a great deal,” Jones said. “Playing for Coach Saban, he’s a great coach. Arguably the best in the country. I’ve heard many things, that he’s compared to Coach Belichick and that our program plays similar to how the Patriots are ran. I feel I’m greatly prepared for the next level, thanks to Coach Saban and the people I had around me getting me ready on and off the field.”
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
