Patriots Rookie Draws Strong Review Following Breakout Performance

New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones had a breakout performance in Week 4, putting people on notice both locally and nationally.

Jones had quite the game last Sunday, making his first career start against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The rookie corner made his opportunity count, intercepting Rodgers and scoring the Patriots’ first defensive points of the season on his way to a 91.8 coverage grade from PFF. That performance, alongside a couple chirps, has drawn attention from former team legends and national media members — mostly in a negative manner before receiving some positivity from a teammate.

In a list of the top-performing rookies through Week 4, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah had high praise for the rookie, placing Jones in 13th place overall.

Jeremiah, a former scout for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles, commended Jones’ for his impressive “mix of instincts and ball skills.” His spot at 13 makes him the second-highest placed cornerback, behind New York Jets rookie Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (No. 1).

The Patriots suddenly find themselves with a good problem, having to figure out Jones’ usage moving forward as Jalen Mills looks to be getting back to 100%.