It's somewhat easy to forget about Jonathan Jones after the New England Patriots cornerback was limited to just six games last season due to a shoulder injury.
Now fully recovered, Jones has worked himself into being an integral piece to not only New England's secondary, but to the Patriots restructured defense as a whole, which can't turn to J.C. Jackson, Dont'a Hightower or Kyle Van Noy on the field anymore.
What Jones, who is entering his seventh season with the Patriots, can provide to a defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed per game last year isn't lost on coach Bill Belichick.
"Jon's a very versatile and important guy to our team since he came here, in the kicking game and defensively," Belichick told reporters during his media availability on Tuesday. "He's smart, he's fast, he's tough. All good things in the kicking game and all good things defensively, tackling, covering fast receivers, and making smart decisions inside and the nickel position, which is where things can get kind of complicated with bunch formations and run force and things like that. So very professional, works hard, pairs well and brings a high level of toughness, competitiveness and speed to our team."
The Patriots will definitely need Jones to put his speed on display in the season opener Sunday against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins have two ultra-fast wide receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle that will put the Patriots secondary to the test, and it won't come as a surprise to see Jones draw one of them for his assignment.
While Jones has primarily turned in standout play as a slot cornerback over his career, it also wouldn't be stunning for him to play more on the outside this season opposite of Jalen Mills. Jones saw time during training camp playing along the boundary and he said he "takes pride" in playing wherever the Patriots coaching staff asks him to line up.
Jones has recorded seven interceptions during his Patriots tenure, and he'll look to add to that number with New England relying on him more than ever this season.
And while Jones might be going under-the-radar for now, that certainly could change, especially with how he performs in his first big challenge of the season against the Dolphins.
